


Waking Up From This Dream, Another Day Like A Nightmare

by pxseas



Series: Twenty Six [2]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band), NCT (Band)
Genre: (mostly), Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Gore, Everyone Is Gay, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Forests, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light Angst, Lockets, M/M, Memories, Minor Character Death, Time Skips, Violence, farms, fields, polaroids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 08:08:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 42,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15837225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pxseas/pseuds/pxseas
Summary: Experts of Yuta's experiences of surviving the zombie apocalypse.





	Waking Up From This Dream, Another Day Like A Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> hey !! it's back !!
> 
> i've been working on this for too long and i'm so happy to finally publish it !! it's the followup fic to the first edition in this series (which is hereby titled 'Twenty Six'!) , except the first edition featured ten/johnny/jeno whilst this fic focuses on yuta's POV
> 
> yuta ... i love him so much , so i really hope this story shines a light on his experiences in this AU !!
> 
> i hope you all enjoy it uwu

~°•.   **18 / 04 / 2025  :  05:42am**.•°~  
  
  
  
The pale orange light from the rising sun filtered through the various flags and banners that hung on the airport window, which spanned the entire arrivals lounge. It gently caressed Sicheng’s features, enunciating the power of his sharp jawline and the length of his eyelashes, as well as reflecting off of the bright pink tips of his blonde hair. Yuta couldn’t help but gaze in awe at his husband as he trundled the cart of suitcases in front of him through Incheon airport. Already, Yuta was feeling more relaxed; nothing else could put him at ease better in this moment than the soft din of airport stores getting ready to open for business, and the occasional dinging of the tannoy announcing departing and arriving flights.  
  
Chenle was walking next to Yuta on the right, and holding onto one of the metal cylinders of the trolley. His blonde hair was bobbing as he waddled next to his father, his 5 year old legs struggling to match the speed of the 36 year old’s, even though the older wasn’t particularly going at a fast pace. Chenle was wearing a pair of denim dungarees, with a blue and white striped top beneath them, as well as a pair of sneakers that were squeaking on the tiled airport floor.  
  
To the other side of Yuta was Sicheng, who had a sleeping Renjun hanging from his back. The 7 year old’s brown hair was swaying with each of Sicheng’s steps, catching the light from the paned windows on either side of the building. His white t-shirt had blue dots spread around the fabric, matching the similar shade of blue jeans he was wearing. Sicheng insisted that the kids wear matching colour schemes, or else they may be harder to find in the airport. However, the silence that was met with each squeak of the families shoes due to the barren nature of the arrivals lounge was helping in proving Sicheng that it was less than necessary.  
  
Sicheng’s eyelids were visibly growing heavier, prompting Yuta to spark up a conversation. “Shall we stop for a coffee?” He said, in a slight whisper. Despite the airport being a public place, it was more or less deserted apart from the Nakamoto family, and so inside voices definitely applied.  
  
“Good idea,” Sicheng grinned, and nodded towards a Starbucks that just had it’s shutters drawn up. Yuta directed the cart in the coffee store’s direction, and the family were at the counter in a few moments. Sicheng took hold of Chenle’s tiny hand, and lead the 3 of them to a table, whilst Yuta was left to order. It made sense, seeing that Yuta was fluent in Korean as he had lived here for 4 years due to school and employment, before moving back to Japan, and then eventually, to China.  
  
Behind the counter stood a young boy, with a head of messy black hair, and facial features that resembled a baby lion. He was still wearing his coat, a brown bomber jacket, and apologized to Yuta before rushing to the back of the store and removing it. After rushing back to the counter, he grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, before asking Yuta for his order.  
  
“Hey, please can I have one regular vanilla latte and just one americano please, to have in,” Yuta smiled. The boy behind the counter nodded, and rushed to the coffee machine, preparing the drinks. Whilst waiting, the Japanese man looked back at Sicheng and the boys, who were all sat at a table by the window. Renjun had woken up by now, and was sat next to his brother. Both of them had their hands pressed on the window, watching the runway that was full of airplanes, whilst Sicheng was scrolling through his phone with an unamused look on his face.  
  
“Your drinks, sir,” the boy behind the counter announced, setting the cups on the counter. Yuta noted that he spoke with a slight accent, indicating that he most likely wasn’t from Korea either. After Yuta exchanged the coffee with the necessary money, he took some sugar sachets out of a small holder, and dumped them into Sicheng’s latte.  
  
“You’re not from here, are you?” Yuta said to the boy whilst stirring in the sugar.  
  
The boy vacantly stared, and then blinked in a surprised manner. It probably wasn’t often people spoke to him about matters that weren’t either orders or complaints. “Ah, yeah, I’m from Canada,” he said, smiling.  
  
“Canada, huh? Nice. I haven’t been yet. Heard it’s cold,” Yuta smiled.  
  
The boy nodded. “Yeah, but at least there’s loads of snow in the winter,” he smiled.  
  
“I guess that’s a perk. Have a good day, buddy,” Yuta nodded, before taking the drinks over to his family. Sicheng’s face lit up immediately when he saw Yuta walk over, and smirked when the older’s shaky hand struggled in putting the coffees down.  
  
Whilst the two kids were busy playing a game of ‘I Spy’, Sicheng and Yuta sipped their coffees whilst they sat at the end of their rows at the table. Besides the boy behind the counter, the cafe was empty apart from them, bringing a peaceful aura over the men.  
  
Sicheng placed his latte back down on the table, and giggled. “Did you put sugar in already?”  
  
Yuta gave a greasy wink.  
  
“Ugh, Yukkie, you’re amazing,” Sicheng laughed, and leant over the table to give Yuta a peck on the lips.  
  
“What can I say? I’m just an amazing husband,” Yuta chuckled, shrugging his shoulders in a goofy manner, and taking a sip of his own coffee.  
  
“Alright cassanova don’t get too ahead of yourself there,” Sicheng grinned. “I saw you flirting with that boy behind the counter,” he said, followed by a mischievous giggle.  
  
“What? He’s like, 19, tops,” Yuta couldn’t help but laugh.  
  
Sicheng looked deadpan at his husband, before letting out a loud chuckle, his face being invaded with joy. “I’m just playing you-“ he turned to look at his children, who were still engrossed in their game, before whispering “-dumbass,” at Yuta.  
  
Yuta smiled, and took another sip of his piping hot coffee. The stress from work was already escaping him thanks to the company of his amazing husband and his 2 kids, whom he loved very much. They’d remain in Korea for another week, before heading back to China (where the family lived).  
  
He could tell it was going to be a good holiday.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 06 / 2027  :  06:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta sat at the canteen, in his large black puffer jacket. He knew it was sometime during the summer, probably June or July, but at Jaehyun’s stronghold, it was always chilly up in the forested mountainous area. The doors to the warehouse were open for any residents to come in and help themselves to dinner, with today allowing for a choice to sit at the communal canteen or return to the shared rooms and eat there.  
  
Most of the families and friends chose to eat in their dorms for a change, as more often than not Jaehyun forced everyone to eat in the warehouse canteen. But Yuta didn’t want to return to the shared rooms he stayed in with the other bachelors at camp.  
  
He hadn’t really made a ‘connection’ with anyone at this camp besides 1 woman named Vivi, and by his standards, this wasn’t a problem at all. As long as he was getting fed, has a place to sleep and is able to protect himself, then what more did he need?  
  
Gone were the days of looking after other people. All Yuta had to care about now was himself.  
  
But it was times like these, when the sense of community was strongest as groups of friends and survivors that had banded together separated to eat their meals in peace, did Yuta feel the most loneliest. Not only did he long for Sicheng and his children, he never really _stopped_ longing for them, but he also missed his old group mates. He recalled the Seo family, Lucas, Jungwoo and Doyoung in particular; they were the ones who he felt most comfortable with.  
  
But were they even still alive? Chances are, probably not. But Yuta hadn’t given up hope yet, despite all the odds being thrown against him. He still had a vision of waking up one day and seeing his group walk into the stronghold. The more optimistic side of him, which was _considerably_ less impactful than how it used to be, sometimes wondered if all 6 of them were still alive and looking for Yuta, but that most likely wasn’t the case. He’d be lucky to find just 1 of them alive again.  
  
“Y-Yuta?”  
  
A soft spoken voice called for him from behind. To be honest, Yuta was surprised that anyone even cared to remember his name.  
  
After Yuta turned around, he made eye contact with one of the younger boys of the camp: Jaemin. He was 17 years old, and had dark brown hair which accompanied his honey coloured skin. From what Yuta understood, Jaemin had arrived alone, but had no problem in making friends with the other campmates. In his hands were a tin of beans, clutched between his fingers. After Yuta didn’t respond, Jaemin proceeded to ask his question anyway.  
  
“I-I was just wondering if you were going to eat tonight? You’ve kind of just been sat alone looking uh…”  
  
Jaemin struggled for a word. Yuta assumed he was trying not to offend him.  
  
“Pissed off?” the older filled in.  
  
Jaemin pursed his lips, and nodded slightly. “Y-Yeah… that… and um, you haven’t really eaten anything. So I brought you this…”  
  
The younger boy outstretched his hands, presenting the tin of beans to Yuta. The Japanese 38 year old wasn’t really hungry but, he felt bad for Jaemin; he was clearly trying to help, for some unknown reason. After letting out a small sigh, Yuta took the tin from Jaemin’s hands into his own large and grubby ones, and nodded in thanks.  
  
What Yuta didn’t expect next was for Jaemin to take the empty seat opposite him. Apparently, accepting an offer of food is also an invitation for a seat nowadays. But that wasn’t the weird thing. The weird thing was that Jaemin just kind of… watched Yuta eat his beans, not trying to make conversation. And Yuta full well knew that he wasn’t going to try create conversation either; he simply wasn’t in the mood.  
  
After the most awkward 5 minutes in the history of mankind, Yuta finished his tin of beans, and placed it on the table in front of him with a clang. Jaemin nodded and smiled, before standing up.  
  
“O-Okay Yuta! I’ll see y-you around I guess…” Jaemin smiled, before awkwardly waddling out of the warehouse, out of Yuta’s vision.  
  
Confused, Yuta couldn’t help but shrug, before getting up from his own seat and excusing himself from the canteen.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 03 / 2026  :  10:2?pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta pulled the car up to a stop outside of the abandoned gas station. With the engine still running, Yuta simply remained in his driving position, with his hands on the wheel and eyes trained outside, yet he wasn’t moving the car. Sicheng mirrored his actions as the passenger, and remained slouched in his seat whilst staring aimlessly out of the window. A few minutes passed, before Yuta let out a heavy sigh.  
  
“We’re here.”  
  
Sicheng gave no response. Each time Sicheng didn’t respond to Yuta, a little part of him died. And with the recent death of their son Chenle, and the not so recent death of their older son Renjun, Yuta was worried that there wouldn’t be enough of him to further be killed.  
  
Oh… how he was wrong.  
  
Yuta got out of the car, and took his pistol out of his belt for protection. Closing the car door, he traversed around the car so he was on the other side, and opened the door for Sicheng. After a few moments, Sicheng slowly stepped out in a delayed response, and stood still, until Yuta had closed the car door.  
  
He remained still, like a statue made of marble, ready to topple over and crumble into a thousand tiny, precious pieces. Sicheng was completely unresponsive. Yuta would’ve thought he had turned into one of _them,_ but his steady breathing gave it away. Exasperated, Yuta leaned on the car, and dove his head into his arms angrily, before lifting them out again. He had to keep himself together, for Sicheng’s sake.  
  
“I’ll look for some supplies. Are you coming with me?”  
  
No response. Again. Yuta shook his head slightly, and very carefully, linked his left arm with Sicheng’s right. Slowly, Yuta lead the pair to the door of the gas station, and peered in. The older man waited for any signs of movement to indicate danger, but after he was met with none, he confidently strode in with Sicheng around his arm. Whilst Sicheng had seemingly lost the ability to speak due to recent events, he would still respond physically, and was more than capable with walking next to Yuta. However, the older was still worried for his husband in his weakened state, and set him down onto the ground next to the counter, allowing him some independence to scavenge the gas station for supplies.  
  
Yuta knelt down and looked Sicheng in the eyes, to which he carefully brushed a loose strand of faded blonde hair out of the younger’s eyes, as well as clearing some dried blood off of his cheek. Sicheng looked back, but he was completely gone. There was no emotion in his expression, no thanks for the care that Yuta was giving him. But Yuta was still going to look after him regardless. He wasn’t doing it for the thanks, he was doing it because he genuinely loved Sicheng. They made promises that they would always be there for each other, and now wasn’t an exception.  
  
Sicheng most likely has the impression that Yuta simply doesn’t care about his children’s death, as he is still acting fine and looking after the pair, but that is the most untrue thing in the entire universe. Yuta was, if anything, more dead on the inside than Sicheng was over the loss of their children. But he couldn’t just let the pair of them waste away. He still had one person left in this world who he loved and had to care for, and he wasn’t going to let Sicheng just abandon him that easily.  
  
Removing himself from his husband after one last gaze into his dark brown eyes, as if he was trying to remember his appearance, Yuta ventured further into the store, and began to investigate the empty shelves for anything of use. His husband had been refusing to eat, but Yuta was hanging onto the optimism that he just didn’t like the food that they had, so he was hoping to find something different which may spark the Chinese man’s appetite.  
  
Unfortunately, after checking all 4 rows of shelves, all Yuta could find was a pack of batteries, a bottle of water and a melted chocolate bar. It was better than nothing, especially given that it had been nearly a year since the apocalypse had began, so Yuta was grateful to find anything that may provide helpful.  
  
That didn’t stop him from choking up when he realised the brand of the chocolate bar was the type Renjun always asked for after soccer practise on Saturdays. How the hell did they even have these in Korea?  
  
Shaking that thought from his head before it could take over, Yuta was looking forward to testing whether Sicheng would respond to the chocolate. Maybe this would be the turning point; hope could still be gained if Sicheng’s appetite perked up. Hell, even a greeting or acknowledgment of Yuta’s presence would make Yuta’s day.  
  
But, when Yuta returned to the counter where he had ‘placed’ Sicheng…  
  
He discovered that he was gone.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **03 / 10 / 2011  :  07:42pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta had his arm around Sicheng’s shoulder, as the Osaka bus trundled through the residential area. Outside of the window, the sky was bright pink and peach, creating a beautiful hue. Trees that lined the cute streets were shades of light orange and faded green, with a cold wind keeping many people indoors on this chilly evening. The same could not said for the pair on the bus, though. Yuta and Sicheng were the only ones on the bus, apart from the driver, and were sitting a few rows from the back.  
  
Sicheng had one of Yuta’s hands in his, playing nonchalantly with the older’s fingers, making them bend, and twisting them every now and then. The younger was leaning on Yuta’s shoulder whilst doing this, and was humming some kind of pop song.  
  
“Why do you have such an obsession with fingers?” Yuta asked, grinning slightly.  
  
“Ahh~ you make it sound like I’m some kind of creep,” Sicheng giggled, tracing Yuta’s finger with his own.  
  
“Noo, I didn’t mean it like that, I’m just interested.. you’re always playing with them,” the older said, tightening his hold on Sicheng.  
  
Sicheng, however, felt like he had to defend himself. “It’s not just any fingers, I just like yours,”  
  
“Mine?”  
  
“Yeah~” he whispered. “They’re pretty!”  
  
Yuta let out a breathy laugh. “Finally… my one true goal in life, to have my fingers be called pretty,”  
  
The younger let out a laugh, throwing Yuta’s fingers back onto his lap. “Well, I’m glad I could be of help,” he mused.  
  
Slowly, Yuta brought his fingers up to his eyes, and examined them. Sicheng burst out laughing when the older mouthed the words ‘Wow, beautiful’ at them, letting out a fake gasp when he moved one of them on purpose.  
  
“You’re such a dork~” Sicheng said whilst laughing.  
  
Yuta grinned in response. “I sure am,”  
  
The pair then looked into each other’s eyes, time seeming to slow down. Slowly, Sicheng moved forward, and brushed his lips onto Yuta’s, lightly kissing him, before moving back. Even though they had been kissing each other for a few weeks now, each time, Yuta felt like his world stopped spinning on his axis, with all he could focus on was the feather touch of Sicheng’s lips.  
  
Suddenly, Yuta let out a loud yell, and quickly grasped his heart, shocking Sicheng.  
  
“Oh my gosh, Yuta?”  
  
“Agh… Sicheng… my heart… that was… too cute…” he struggled, before Sicheng playfully slapped him. However, when he saw Yuta’s gummy smile, Sicheng burst into laughter, collapsing onto Yuta’s shoulder.  
  
When the bus finally arrived at their stop, Yuta helped Sicheng up, and held his hand as they walked down to the double doors. Before Sicheng had a chance to realise it was extremely cold, Yuta had taken off his bomber jacket and wrapped it around the younger wordlessly.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **23 / 04 / 2025  :  06:32am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“I’ve tried to call the embassy to see if they can get us out of the country, but no one is picking up,” Sicheng sighed, looking at his phone in despair.  
  
The couple were currently stood in the deserted hallway of their hotel. Fluorescent lighting from the ceiling was illuminating the husbands, who were still dressed in their pyjamas and having their discussion out of the room, in an effort to not wake up their kids. Yuta stood with his arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, whilst Sicheng’s face was a mix of desperation and panic.  
  
“If we can get to the airport in time, maybe they’ll be able to fit us on a flight,” Yuta whispered, still looking at a point on the floor, thinking about chances of escape.  
  
“I’ve checked, there’s no departing flights to China. They’ve closed the airports down,” Sicheng sighed, before letting out a choked sob. “Y-Yuta, what are we going to do?” The younger covered his face with his palms. It was a habit of his; despite their long marriage, Sicheng hated the feeling of being vulnerable in front of the other.  
  
“Baby, we’ll be okay, don’t worry. We’ll sort something out,” Yuta whispered, moving closer to his partner, wrapping him in his arms. He hoped the uncertainty wasn’t clear in Yuta’s voice, but not much got past Sicheng. If anything, the older’s reaction brought on more tears from Sicheng, further solidifying his view that the family were doomed, and stuck in a foreign country infested with the dead who were coming back to life.  
  
“Let’s get ready to leave. The sooner we get out, the better, okay?”  
  
Sicheng nodded whilst resting against Yuta’s chest. “Okay.”  
  
Sniffling, Sicheng went to open the hotel door, expecting to find Renjun and Chenle still fast asleep in their shared bed. However, when Sicheng looked down, he saw Renjun stood, looking at his parent’s with a look of fear on his face. The thought that Renjun had heard _everything_ his parents had just discussed immediately raced through both of their minds. Yuta knelt down so he was at eye level with Renjun.  
  
“Junnie… how much did you hear?” He whispered, softly moving and brushing Renjun’s brown hair back.  
  
“W-We can’t go home?” He responded, shaking slightly. Sicheng pursed his lips, and also knelt down next to Yuta. The young boy was still stood in his duck-patterned pyjamas, looking terrified.  
  
“N-No… no, we can go home. It’s just going to be…” Yuta struggled for words. “It’s just going to be harder. That’s all! Nothing to worry about, buddy.”  
  
Renjun paused. “Are they real? The… the things?”  
  
Sicheng took over this time, having recovered from his small crying session. “Junnie baby, I wish I could lie to you and say that they’re all just imaginary. B-But they’re not,” Sicheng gulped. “But we’re still going to try our hardest in getting us all home, okay?”  
  
Renjun gulped, before his eyes went shiny. “I just want to go home,” was all he whispered.  
  
“I know baby, I do too,” Sicheng responded, taking the 7 year old into his arms. Yuta wrapped his longer arms around the pair of them, the 3 members of the family hugging away the fear on the hotel floor.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **09 / 05 / 2020  :  12:38pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
On Yuta’s chest, Chenle was attached by a child support. He was aimlessly looking around the Japanese park, whilst gripping onto Yuta’s sweatshirt with his tiny 7 month old fingers. By Yuta’s side was Sicheng, who was walking with a baby Renjun holding onto his hand. The family were taking a short visit to Osaka, Yuta’s hometown, to see where he grew up whilst they visited family. The visit was especially important, seeing as Yuta’s sister was Renjun’s surrogate mother, and she hadn’t seem him since she gave birth to him. However, Chenle’s surrogate mother was Sicheng’s sister, so whilst this wasn’t so much of an important visit for the 4 month old, it was still special; he was a member of the Nakamoto family as much as Renjun was.  
  
It’s funny how that worked out, really, with both of the men having sisters who were both willing to carry a child for their brothers. In some peoples eyes it was wrong but they were endlessly thankful that they helped bring true happiness to both of the parent’s life’s in the form of their children. Without their kids, they didn’t really have any purpose to be honest.  
  
“This is so pretty,” Sicheng murmured, looking around at the scenery.  
  
The family were currently walking through a park in Yuta’s neighbourhood of Osaka, just a few blocks from his childhood house. Cherry Blossom trees were surrounding the family, their bright white petals gently drifting down in the soft breeze that was gracing the park. Just ahead of the family was a small pond, with lily pads gently floating on the pristine surface. On the other side of the small park was a swing set and a slide, something which had been there since Yuta was growing up. Funny that they never replaced it, come to think of it.  
  
“Lets sit here,” Yuta said as they walked up to a patch of grass. Nodding, Sicheng let go of Renjun’s hand, allowing their son to jog up to the patch of grass before rolling down, giggling. Smiling, Sicheng sat down next to him (albeit a LOT slower), followed by Yuta. Sicheng took off his backpack, and took out a bunch of sandwiches he made earlier.  
  
“Wow Sichengie, so prepared~”  
  
“What can I say?” Sicheng giggled. “So different to how I used to be, I know,” he grinned, biting into the bread.  
  
Yuta carefully lifted Chenle out of his support, and set him on the grass between the 3 members of the family. Renjun then (carefully) took his brothers hand and poked it, Chenle turning his attention to his older brother. Renjun then pulled a funny face for Chenle, causing the younger brother to let out a melody of giggles. However, the youngest tried to move over to Renjun, yet fell on his face, letting out a small whimper as his eyes filled with tears.  
  
“Aw, baby,” Sicheng cooed, picking Chenle up and wiping his face of dirt. “Sit with your brother,” he smiled, setting Chenle down next to Renjun, who quickly wrapped his arm around the youngest and tried to feed him his sandwich, despite Chenle not wanting it.  
  
“It’s weird being back,” Yuta said after finishing his sandwich, looking around at the residential houses that lined the edges of the park.  
  
“How come?” Sicheng asked.  
  
“I dunno… it just doesn’t feel as homely as it once did,” he shrugged.  
  
“Not even where you grew up?”  
  
“Nope. I think our home as a family is nicer,” he sighed.  
  
“That’s cute,” Sicheng smiled. “I still think our little apartment that we first had was my favourite,” he grinned.  
  
“Not even our nice house now?”  
  
“Nononono don’t take it as though I don’t like our house-“ Sicheng laughed, Yuta smirking in response. “Just, when we didn’t have much money, everything we had felt like such a struggle to get, so it was all… cozy~”  
  
“I get that,” Yuta nodded. “I miss our small apartment sometimes.”  
  
“So do I, but I don’t miss when we went to bed hungry, or when I had to work late at..” Sicheng pursed his lips. He didn’t really like talking about his past career. It was something very sensitive to the younger, which Yuta knew. And he really didn’t want his kids ever hearing about what he had to do to earn money for the family. Yuta never judged him for it though, which made the older 100x more attractive to Sicheng.  
  
“We made it though in the end,” the older smiles in response. “It all turned up Yuta and Sicheng!”  
  
“Yeah, eventually,” Sicheng says as he leans over and plants a chaste kiss on Yuta’s lips.  
  
“I just think it’s crazy that we’re here, in Japan, with our two kids. If you told me when I was a kid that I’d tutor and fall in love with a student two years younger than me, and then move to China and have two children with him, I’d call you crazy,” he laughed.  
  
“Didn’t you think you were going to be a famous footballer?” Sicheng asks.  
  
“Sure did.”  
  
“Bet you didn’t think you were going to end up being some government official translator person,” the former laughs.  
  
“Ahh I bet my parents did though. They knew what they were doing when they taught me Chinese as a kid, scheming bastards-“ suddenly Yuta clamped his hand over his mouth, and looking down at the kids, who were currently babbling to each other.  
  
“Nice save~” Sicheng chimes, standing up and brushing the crumbs off of his jeans. “We should get going now, don’t your parents want us there at like 1pm?”  
  
Yuta nodded, also getting to his feet and picking Chenle up, and placing him into the support. Then, once everything was packed away, Sicheng and Yuta continued their conversation as the family walked through the park, in direction of Yuta’s childhood house.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **05 / 05 / 2025  :  11:37am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“That’s nice, isn’t it Jeno! Some kids your age who you can play with!” Ten said enthusiastically, having knelt down to Jeno’s level. Yuta watched as Jeno looked uncomfortable with the prospect of other children, but didn’t take any offence; he appreciated the young boy’s attempt at nodding and smiling, in order to appear as polite.  
  
“It’s uh… very good to meet you!” Sicheng said in broken Korean, nodding his head as so his pink tips bounced ever so slightly. Yuta gazed at his husband, appreciating the effort he was putting into speaking a foreign language, and smiled brilliantly when he had finished his sentence. Despite all they had been through, Sicheng was still here and still fighting. Yuta’s love for Sicheng would forever be undying, and he didn’t know why, but for some reason in that moment, Yuta was so proud to be able to call Sicheng his own.  
  
“I’m sure we’ll see you around,” Johnny said in return. The men said their goodbyes, and the Seo family began to make their way further into the camp. Once they had left, Yuta took Sicheng’s hand into his own, and they continued walking down the dirt trail.  
  
“You did well there,” Yuta says in Chinese again, looking up at the blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the atmosphere in camp was particularly pleasant for once.  
  
“Thanks~ I’ve been trying to improve my Korean, seeing as we’re stuck here,” Sicheng says, clutching onto the other’s hand. “Where are the kids?”  
  
“Sichengie, we don’t need to worry about them constantly anymore. We’re safe here, no?”  
  
The younger paused.  
  
“I suppose. But what if something bad happens?”  
  
“It won’t. This place is secure, see?” Yuta pointed to the beginnings of a log barricade that was going to be constructed around the tents and the log cabin at the far end of the plain, where Taeil resided as leader.  
  
“I guess…”  
  
Yuta smiled. “But… I believe they’re over there, playing with those kids,” he pointed over to a clearing in the tents, where Renjun and Chenle were indeed playing some kind of game with an unknown boy.  
  
The husbands continued to saunter through the camp, nodding in greeting at the passing survivors, whilst walking in a comfortable silence with one another. Eventually, the pair had done a full loop of the camp, arriving back at the place where they had just met Johnny and his family, and sat down at one of the benches in the ‘commons’ area. Once that had sat down, Sicheng intertwined his fingers with Yuta’s, and kissed his (slightly stubbly) cheek.  
  
“What was that for?” Yuta asked in mock surprise, turning to Sicheng’s direction and giving a toothy smile.  
  
“I just don’t want you to forget how much I love you,” Sicheng whispered, blushing slightly.  
  
Yuta couldn’t help but aww, and wrapped his arm around Sicheng’s shoulders.  
  
“Why would I forget that?”  
  
“Just…” Sicheng stuttered. “I-If things ever get hard… you just can’t forget how much I love you and how much I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me. Ever.”  
  
It was Yuta’s turn to blush, and he was grateful that the rest of the survivors surrounding the pair in the area weren’t fluent in Chinese. That meant those words were special to Yuta and Yuta only. “Thank you Sichengie,” he whispered. “That means a lot.”  
  
Sicheng hummed in response, and tightened his grasp on Yuta’s fingers.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 11 / 2027  :  02:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“Uncle Yuta?”  
  
Surprised at the sudden nickname, Yuta whipped his head around to look at Jeno. The pair were currently sat at the top of one of the many watch towers dotted around the forest, which overlooked the sea of trees that were sprinkled with a layer of white snow.  
  
“Yeah buddy?”  
  
Jeno paused. He seemed to sense the awkwardness of the topic he was about to mention.  
  
“W-Where is the rest of your family?” He asked. Back when Yuta first met Jeno, he was but a newly turned 3 year old, barely competent of holding a conversation or thinking of more confusing concepts. But now, after nearly 3 years had passed since the beginning of the apocalypse, it seemed like he was almost too grown up for a 5 year old. Almost as if the end of the world had an impact on the maturing age of children. It was terrifying, and Yuta felt so guilty when the thought that people really had to grow up in this apocalypse was a reality. It was even more of a reality when Renjun and Chenle were alive… maybe it was better that they had escaped this evil world.  
  
“They’re dead, Jeno.”  
  
The young boy looked down at his hands, and sighed. “I thought so,” he whispered, before looking back up, and over the forest. Usually, Jaehyun didn’t allow minors to keep lookout, but seeing as Yuta wanted to allow Ten and Johnny some time for themselves, he decided to take Jeno out anyway, with his parent’s comfortable in the fact that Yuta can protect both of them.  
  
“R-Renjun was nice…” Jeno faltered, in a weak attempt to cheer Yuta up.  
  
The older man chuckled slightly, before looking back over the forest. “Yeah. He was,” Yuta said as he looked over the forest once more. It hadn’t changed at all, and they’d been outside since dawn. Soon it would be time to start the walk back, but right now, Yuta was enjoying spending some time with Jeno, as well as the rekindled memories Jeno was eliciting.  
  
“Do you remember much about him?” Yuta asked.  
  
Jeno hummed in thought. “He was always smiling. I remember even when he lost at a game when we were at the camp he would still smile. I never smile when I lose.”  
  
Yuta laughed, and then looked back at Jeno. “Yeah, he was always smiling wasn’t he?”  
  
The young boy picked up on the way to Yuta’s heart, the way to make him feel better and get him out of this emotional slump he’d been stuck in for… the better part of a year and a half. “A-And Chenle! He was always giggling. His laugh was so…”  
  
Jeno moved his hands trying to think of a word.  
  
“High pitched?” Yuta filled in for him as he smiled.  
  
“Yeah!” the 5 year old boy did a happy eye smile, which made Yuta smile in return.  
  
Remembering the positives about his own kids made Yuta feel better immensely, and knowing that they’re living on within other people’s memories and not just Yuta’s makes him happy that their existence wasn’t just for anything. If anything, it helped lift a weight off of Yuta’s shoulders, as now if he were to die, the knowledge of Renjun’s smile, Chenle’s laugh and Sicheng’s kindness wouldn’t die with him. The memories of them live on within Jeno, and presumably Ten and Johnny as well.  
  
A sense of peace replaced the constant sense of anxiety in Yuta’s life that day.  
  
Maybe everything would turn out okay, whether Yuta ended up dead or alive.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 01 / 2026  :  06:4? pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Darkness was falling, the setting sun illuminating the rooftops of buildings that were in the small town that Yuta, Sicheng and Chenle were currently within the boundaries of. After Yuta had parked the car, they decided to head into the built up area in search of supplies. Luckily for the family, the town seemed deserted, and so was free of any of the undead, however, that also meant the supplies were dwindling with each store front they went into.  
  
“Yukkie, it’s getting darker,” Sicheng whispered as the family of 3 walked down the pavement of the high street. On the pavement were shards of glass, pieces of litter and stains of dried blood everywhere they went. Chenle hopped over the shards of glass as the parent’s were talking in hushed tones.  
  
“We won’t be long baby, don’t worry,” Yuta whispered back. “This can be our last store, alright?”  
  
Sicheng gave a soft smile whilst nodding. The smile didn’t have the same quality of brightness that it possessed prior to the end of the world, but it still had a warming effect on the older’s heart.  
  
The store must have been a clothes retailer, judging by the overturned mannequins and heaps of fabric strewn over the floor. The glass windows that adorned the front of the store were all smashed, allowing the family to step in through the gap. Whilst Yuta, with his emergency axe in his hand, scoured the store for any signs of movement, Sicheng put his hands underneath Chenle’s armpits and lifted him into the building, in an effort to avoid the shards of glass that remained as evidence of the window.  
  
Thanks to all of the open gaps left by the destroyed windows, the natural light was providing the family with enough vision to begin scavenging whatever they can find. However, as it was currently well into winter, the nights approached faster, and with a harsher temperature to back them up with. Even now, whilst in the building, the biting winds were creeping in. Luckily, their howls were covering Chenle’s chittering teeth, or the occasional clang Yuta would make if he walked into a shelf by accident. So whilst they usually cursed the wind and the chill that it brought, right now, it was proving as a useful cover in helps of hiding from unwanted attention.  
  
A few minutes into the search, something caught Yuta’s eye.  
  
“Lele, baby,” he whispered across the store. Chenle, who had been clutching onto Sicheng’s leg for comfort, scampered over to his father who was on the other side of the store, kneeling down next to a shelf. “Look what I found,” he smiled to his young son.  
  
Chenle’s face lit up when he saw what was in Yuta’s hands. In Yuta’s hands was a dark blue scarf, its length suggesting it was really meant for an adult to wear, but now there weren’t any adults left to wear it anyway. Taking the scarf, Yuta wrapped it around Chenle’s neck, tying it into a knot, before planting a kiss on his forehead. The young boy wrapped his small arms around Yuta, who happily returned the hug.  
  
Winter was a foul beast this year, with an unprecedented amount of snow causing conditions for the family to be unbearable at times, especially with the fierce winds to add into the mix. In times like this, Chenle could appreciate the importance of clothing that they may have taken for granted before the apocalypse, and happily took the gift of the scarf.  
  
As Sicheng walked over to the hugging pair, he gently placed his hand on Yuta’s nape and rubbed it gently, looking down with a quizzical look as to what his husband had said or done to elicit such a positive reaction from Chenle.  
  
Ever since Renjun’s death, he hadn’t been quite the same. But now he seemed like his old self, which surprised even Yuta, who was the one giving him the gift.  
  
“Thank you Yukkha,” Chenle whispered whilst nuzzling his head into Yuta’s chest. It seemed like this was one of the only places which allowed for a sense of security and peace in an ever changing, ever hostile world. Yuta simply wrapped his arms tighter around his loved one and hummed in acknowledgement, before getting back to his feet and surveying the store again quickly, just to check no one had crept up on them.  
  
It was so hard to let your guard down these days, something that, unfortunately, the family had learnt the hard way.  
  
“Lets take as much fabric as we can,” Sicheng whispered, barely audible over the loud howls of wind outside. “What we can’t wear we can use for bandages if they’re ever needed, or to use for bedding.”  
  
Yuta smiled and kissed Sicheng’s forehead as well, before nodding in agreement. Chenle scampered back over to the younger parent, who had taken his backpack off of his shoulders and had began filling it to the brim with clothing. Every now and then, upon picking up a shirt, he’d hold it to Chenle’s chest to see if it would fit him. Regardless of whether it did, he’d pack it into his bag. The Japanese man had returned to doing the same, but kept one eye on the sky outside, noting how quickly darkness was approaching.  
  
After a few minutes had passed, Yuta walked over to where Sicheng and Chenle were currently kneeling near some fallen mannequins, and pointed to the entrance in which they had climbed in, indicating it was time to leave. Sicheng instantly nodded, and zipped up his backpack. Taking Chenle’s hand, he followed Yuta out of the store, and they were back on the side walk.  
  
“Is it me or is it eerily quiet?” Sicheng murmured as he walked behind Yuta. “I would of expected there to be… I don’t know. Maybe more of a presence?”  
  
The older didn’t tear his sight away from in front of him, but he did reply to Sicheng’s statement. “Ahh, I really hope it stays like this. Until we get back to the car, anyway. Then we’ll be fine for sure.”  
  
The family were around the corner from where they had parked the car, when Yuta stopped in his tracks. This came as a shock to the other 2 members of the family, who subsequently walked into him, as they weren’t exactly paying attention.  
  
“Yukkie? What’s wrong?” Sicheng whispered, moving next to his side. Ahead of them, a few blocks down, were some moving figures. The length of their hair indicated that they were girls, but the fluidity of their actions in scavenging an abandoned car seemed too natural for this to be their first time, suggesting… experience.  
  
Slowly, in a fashion designed not to draw attention, Yuta creeped ahead. They were a few feet away from the corner to the street they had to go down, where they parked their car. And they had almost made it before the figures stopped moving, and pointed in the families direction.  
  
Sicheng hoisted Chenle into his arms and ran after Yuta, who had made a beeline around the corner and for their car. With no time to spare, Yuta swung the car door open for Sicheng before dashing around to the other side, and leaping into the drivers seat. Ungracefully, Sicheng collapsed into the car, Chenle wriggling out of his grasp and into the backseat whilst the younger of the parents slammed the door shut.  
  
“Go!” Sicheng desperately squawked, as Yuta turned the engine on with relative ease and reversed out of their parking position and into the direction away from the figures. Yuta wasted no time in speeding down the street towards the main road which was heading north, further into Korea.  
  
As Sicheng looked into the rear view mirror, he didn’t know what he expected to see. Hordes of the undead chasing after their car? A notorious biker gang chasing them down to kill them all? He didn’t really know. All he saw were 2 figures, standing in a way in which the sunlight was behind them, aiding in disguising their identities.  
  
Sicheng clamped his hand to his mouth a few moments after, feeling a panic attack coming on. The memories were too fresh, too raw for Sicheng to be able to handle, and Yuta could sense it too, placing a re-affirming squeeze with his free hand on Sicheng’s thigh.  
  
“I-It’s t-too similar t-to-“ Sicheng gasped, struggling to breathe.  
  
“I know Sichengie, I know,” Yuta whispered, his own eyes tearing up as well. Chenle seemed to be cradled into a ball in the back.  
  
The last time they’d seen anyone watching them drive away in the rear view mirror was when they left Renjun.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **23 / 04 / 2025  :  08:25pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
The gunshot echoed throughout the parking lot, another person falling dead at Yuta’s feet. He was positioned in the centre of the 5 th floor of the building, with several cars positioned in spaces around them. Whilst Yuta had a glock in his hands, defending his family from the throngs of undead emerging from the lower levels, Sicheng was busy in the background attempting to hotwire any of the remaining cars.  
  
“Any luck, Sicheng?” Yuta yelled, firing another bullet at an oncoming corpse, who collapsed in a heap a few feet in front of him. There were 6 more shuffling towards him, and it really seemed like with each one he shot, another 2 would appear from the ramp behind them.  
  
“I’m trying as hard as I fucking can!” Sicheng yelled back in an angry tone. Another gunshot sounded, cancelling out the noise of Renjun and Chenle’s crying for a brief few seconds. The two children were cowering behind a suitcase, clutching onto one another, whilst one of their dads was shooting people, and the other was smashing windows of cars using his elbow and trying to get them to start via hotwiring. After each unsuccessful attempt on Sicheng’s part, they’d quickly follow him to the next car, where he’d repeat the process. The family were looping around the floor on the car park, but eventually, they’d get back to the entrance. This would be fine… if the entrance wasn’t producing more and more dead people.  
  
Yuta shot 2 more people dead, whilst backing up slowly. The volume of dead people flooding the floor was most definitely increasing by this point, and the likelihood that they would be able to make it out of this situation was quickly decreasing by the second.  
  
“Sich-“  
  
“I GOT IT!” Sicheng screamed, successfully revving the engine. “Get in, now!” He yelled at the kids, who jumped in once Sicheng had leant into the backseat and opened the door for them. Yuta fired at one last person before running into a sprint towards the car, falling into the passengers seat whilst Sicheng barked orders at his kids to remain in the middle of the backseat, so any smashing glass wouldn’t hit them.  
  
“DRIVE!” Yuta yelled, slamming shut his door whilst Sicheng pressed hard on the gas pedal. Unceremoniously, the car threw itself forward, past the wave of undead that had found themselves on their floor. Once they’d reached the slope downwards leading to the exit, Sicheng regained his driving skills and slowed down slightly, but remained at a speed to which anything standing in front of the car would _not_ survive any type of collision. Yuta kept his gun trained at any dead people he saw as they descended throughout the building, finding that the concentration of corpses definitely increased the further they got down. Luckily (for them), the majority seemed to be centred around stationary cars that hadn’t made the escape, which could only mean one thing…  
  
But… at least Yuta got his family out, and that’s all he had could bring himself to care about in this crazy world.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Sicheng got the car to the ground floor, bursting out of the exit onto the busy Busan street. The scene was that of absolute chaos, with burning vehicles crashed into the sides of buildings that lined the street, and crowds of the living running for their lives from the predators that were the undead.  
  
“You know where you’re going, right?” Yuta panted, still out of breath from all the physical exertion he’d just done.  
  
“Out of the city?”  
  
“Perfect.”  
  
Yuta turned in the back of his seat, and was met with both of his sons shaking and crying whilst latched onto one another’s arms with knuckles turning white.  
  
“Boys, look at me,” Yuta whispered in his cheery tone. They hesitantly looked up at Yuta in fear. “We’re safe now, okay? We’re getting out of here,” he whispered, putting his hands out for both of them to take. Unusually, they cowered away from his touch, letting out soft whimpers, as if he was some kind of wild animal.  
  
“Y-You killed them…” Renjun whispered in a mixture of anxiety, shock and disgust. Chenle nodded quickly after, moving to hold Renjun’s hand. The tone was almost accusatory, but… what could Yuta of done? Let them devour the family? He wasn’t going to give up that easy.  
  
The family jolted slightly as the car made a sharp turn.  
  
“Buddy, it was either I killed them or they killed us,” Yuta clarified, using as soft a tone as he could manage in this time.  
  
“But won’t you get in trouble?” Chenle spoke this time, still sobbing. “What if you go to jail?”  
  
“I don’t think that the police are worrying about me at the moment,” Yuta replied.  
  
The kids in the backseat, distracted from the chaos that was ensuing outside of the car doors which was further amplified thanks to the lack of glass in the driver’s window, looked more comforted in their father’s presence, but were still rattled. Nonetheless, they both took Yuta’s outstretched hand with their own (both of their young hands fitting into Yuta’s large one), to which he squeezed both of them.  
  
“Yukkha… will we ever get to go home again?” Renjun looked tearfully at Yuta this time, with Chenle hanging onto his father’s words like they were his lifeline.  
  
Yuta pursed his lips and paused. The realistic answer was no, but Yuta felt obliged to be optimistic for both of their sakes, seeing as the world was ending before their very eyes.  
  
“We’ll try as hard as we can. I promise.”  
  
And with that, Yuta returned to his normal position within the passenger’s seat, and began to help Sicheng with directions on where to go and what to avoid.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2026  :  11:5?am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Sicheng was kneeling on both of his knees next to the mound of dirt that had recently been unearthed by Yuta’s shovel. Dried tear stains were all that were left on his cheeks, distinctly running trails through the dirt that had caked itself on the Chinese man’s face. The shaking in his body had stopped, and the raw emotion that was splashed across his face was now nowhere to be seen. Yuta’s legs buckled beneath him, partly due to the exhaustion that had crippled his body after digging the impromptu grave, and he landed next to Sicheng in an ungraceful manner. The noon sun was casting it’s rays through the leaves of the trees that surrounded the husbands as they overlooked Chenle’s burial site.  
  
“I’m sorry, Chenle,” Sicheng whispered, gently moving his hand over the patch of dirt, his fingers becoming covered in the brown substance.  
  
Yuta didn’t know it now, but those would be the last words Sicheng would ever say.  
  
A soft sniffle could be heard from Yuta’s right. Was his husband going to start crying again? Probably. Such a response is normal, but Yuta had no tears to spare. All he felt was heart-wrenching despair, as if he’ll never be able to be happy ever again. As he looked down at his youngest son’s grave, he felt like a shell of a human being. What he hated most was that Chenle’s death was completely avoidable; if either Yuta or Sicheng had simply been paying more attention, they’d of been able to protect Chenle from…  
  
That was the question. Protect him from what? From who? There are so many questions surrounding Chenle’s death that will forever be unanswered, that will forever be boring themselves further and further into Yuta and Sicheng’s brains. It was a horrible concept to the Father’s; they will never know how their son died.  
  
Moments passing turned into minutes, before minutes turned into hours. The couple remained unmoving, simply observing their son’s grave, the only noise being the occasional twittering of birds in the trees above, or an occasional whimper from Sicheng. Even when the forest was cast into a bright orange light signifying evening’s arrival, Yuta didn’t feel an urgent need to leave the site, despite all of his senses telling him to eat, drink, sleep.  
  
The only thing that brought him back down to Earth was Sicheng carefully getting to his feet, and walking away from the grave soundlessly, moving at an awfully slow pace back to the car, carelessly left at the side of the road. As Yuta got up and gave his final glance at the grave, the action of turning his back felt like it was the heaviest thing he’d ever done.  
  
When he reached the car, only then did he realise that they had left the doors open.  
  
Silently, Sicheng collapsed into the passenger seat of the small automobile that the Nakamoto family were still driving, and curled up into a ball. Yuta had to shut his door for him, the younger simply lacking the energy, before he solemnly walked to the other side of the car and got into the driver’s seat.  
  
Within Yuta’s mind, a battle was raging. This would be the last time they would ever be near Chenle, whether he was dead or alive. This was his final resting place, and once he pressed on the accelerator and left, there would be no coming back. Not even if the pair wanted to; they simply wouldn’t be able to find it. So the question was, should they leave? Should they continue fighting for survival when everyone they loved but each other was gone?  
  
Or perhaps… should they join Chenle on their own accord? Together?  
  
Biting his lip, Yuta pressed forward on the accelerator, the car noisily complying and thrusting forward. His foot kept going further and further down, the car speeding up. The faster they got away from the scene the better, and the noise they were creating really didn’t matter to the men anymore. It would of if they had someone else to protect.  
  
But gone were those days.  
  
The car was barrelling down the straight highroad at about 80mph by now, before Yuta gently applied the brakes and returned to a more manageable speed. As he looked to his left at his husband in the passenger seat, he saw that his eyes were shut, and his chest was rising in an even manner. He was relieved to see Sicheng sleep and gain some rest, as now, Yuta’s primary goal was to keep Sicheng alive.  
  
That was all he could do now, and by god, would he fucking achieve it.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **03 / 09 / 2011  :  10:04am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta sat in the lecture hall of Osaka University of Arts with his arms crossed. After graduating from university in Busan a couple of months ago, he had since moved back to Japan. However, due to money troubles, he had to move back in with his parent’s at the age of 22; something he was _not_ happy about. Especially when they began to boss him around like he was a little kid again, when he’d just spent 4 years living in a foreign country by himself.  
  
Nonetheless, in order to gain some more money as to provide funds for escape from his parents, Yuta applied for a job as a translator at the Osaka University for the international students, as he sympathized especially with them. He knew how hard it was to leave your life, friends and family behind and go study in a different country. Also, the pay was good, and it looked good on Yuta’s CV.  
  
He was surrounded by several other people that ranged in age, with Yuta being one of the oldest, all of which were sitting in a section of the unusually modern lecture hall whilst the new students were being greeted for their first day. Looking over the crowd, Yuta watched as the 18 year olds bubbled excitedly in their seats between themselves as the teacher at the front of the hall dismissed them. However, on the right hand side of the audience beneath the balcony that the volunteer translators were currently seated at, was a crowd of more… ‘cautious’ students. The first thing that Yuta noticed was that they ranged in ages; some of them were most definitely freshmen, whilst one of them looked like he was 40 years old. Whilst the rest of the university hall immediately stood up and dispersed, they awkwardly gathered their footing and looked around, gathering into groups with each other or checking their phones anxiously.  
  
Ah. The _international_ students. Yuta would have to get used to them, seeing as he’d most likely be assigned one of them to help with their studies. The ’88 liner followed the group of translators down the stairs to the ground floor where the first years were beginning to leave, and met up with the international students, who were now joined by a tutor. In her hands was a list of names, and as she began to call them out in order, Yuta realised they were the pairings for who would tutor who.  
  
Hopefully whoever Yuta was tutoring wasn’t some kind of anti-social freak.  
  
“Nakamoto Yuta,” the tutor called out all of a sudden, to which he raised his hand indicating his attendance. He folded his arms across his black puffer coat, and waited for the name to be called out. “The student you will be tutoring will be…”  
  
“Dong Sicheng.”  
  
Yuta looked through the crowd for any indication of the named boy. Eventually, after the tutor had to call out the name several times again, a slender hand arose from the crowd gracefully, before the named boy stumbled out of the group. Yuta didn’t want to be a cliché, but he did quite literally gasp when he laid eyes on him. Sicheng was wearing an oversized yellow sweatshirt and black jeans, with white converse. His facial features were masculine yet beautiful, and his dark brown eyes looked around anxiously at the crowd of people. All of a sudden, he looked down to his sweater paws, his light blonde hair bobbing slightly, before he looked up at Yuta. Confused, he looked at the woman who had just called his name, as if wondering what to do next, before being beckoned over to the latter. Once he knew what he was doing, Sicheng anxiously walked over to Yuta, tripping over on his feet slightly, which made Yuta grin. How could someone look so beautiful yet hold themselves so… haphazardly? The boy was absolutely adorable to Yuta, in a sense that he just wanted to wrap him up in cotton and put a bright pink bow on top. Sicheng placed himself next to Yuta, but avoided his gaze at all times.  
  
The air was awkward between the 2 of them. It was obvious to Yuta that Sicheng did not want to be here at all, as he kept shuffling around anxiously and looking behind himself towards the exit.  
  
“You okay..?” Yuta whispered to Sicheng, in Japanese. He quickly flipped around to look at Yuta, his eyes widening, like a deer caught in headlights. What was this boy so scared for?  
  
“Uh..” he stammered, before shrugging. “I.. Japanese.. Not?” he struggled, before looking down to his feet. “Thank you…?”  
  
Yuta cleared his throat slightly, before leaning in (but not too closely; Yuta feared Sicheng may just run out of the auditorium if he did that). “I don’t know if this is cheating? But I can speak Chinese as well,” he whispered in Chinese, smiling at the frightened boy. Sicheng’s face lit up in shock and surprise, before showing a small smile.  
  
“That’d be useful,” he whispered back. The tutor was addressing the entire group by now, but the pair of them were engaged in conversation with each other. “How much do you know?”  
  
“Been learning it since I was a kid.”  
  
“Oh…” Sicheng paused. “So have I.”  
  
“I guessed,” Yuta grinned, laughing slightly.  
  
It was obvious that the younger was more at ease now, as he stopped juggling on the balls of his feet, and his breathing had relaxed. His eyes lingered on Yuta for a few extra moments, before he turned away, back to look at the front. But Yuta could feel something there. Dare he say it was chemistry? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Sicheng was intriguing, having a mysterious aura.  
  
A mystery that Yuta wanted to solve.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **23 / 04 / 2025  :  09:13am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“What the hell is going on,” Sicheng muttered to himself. The family were currently in their rental car outside of the airport, in an incredibly long traffic queue. In Sicheng’s hands were his mobile phone, which he kept trying to connect to the internet, but nothing was working. It was almost like every single electrical item had just… failed on them.  
  
“I have no idea,” Yuta muttered, equally as confused, leaning over his steering wheel to try and look further on down the queue.  
  
“Nothings connecting… this is so scary,” the former whispered, hoping the kids in the backseat wouldn’t be able to hear him. “Are we going to be okay?”  
  
Yuta looked uneasy, but nodded. “I’ll protect everyone, we’ll be fine,”  
  
“Baba?” Renjun asked from the backseat.  
  
“Yes Junnie?” Sicheng responded, turning around.  
  
“How long are we going to be waiting for?”  
  
“Uhh…”  
  
“Will we get to go home?” Chenle asked this time.  
  
“We’re trying, guys,” Yuta called back. “It just might be a little bit of a wait,” he sighed.  
  
“I’m scared,” Chenle whispered, yet despite the tense situation, Sicheng’s heart was warmed as he watched Renjun take Chenle’s small hand.  
  
“Don’t worry, Lele,” Sicheng soothed, moving his hand back and rubbing the youngest’s knee. “We’re going to be absolutely fine. Aren’t we?” He directed towards Yuta.  
  
“I promise it! Hwaiting~” Yuta sang, eliciting some giggles from the back.  
  
Giggles which were abruptly stopped when some pedestrians ran past the car, with blood on their shirts, apparently screaming.  
  
“Yu-“  
  
“I’ll go check what’s wrong,” Yuta said, undoing his seat belt and opening the car door.  
  
“I’m coming with you. Kids, please stay here, and if anyone touches the car, scream as loud as you can, okay?”  
  
“Okay…” they both muttered, turning back to each other. The parents stepped outside of the car, the extent to which the length of the queue really became apparent to them. Sicheng and Yuta began to traipse through the cars, eventually reaching a checkpoint at the bottom. The road that lead to the airport car parks was currently blocked off with bright orange traffic cones, and the toll station had been transformed into a makeshift army watch station. An armed policeman stood in front of the barricade, with hazmat teams pouring into the airport behind him. Several windows on the front of the airport were smashed, and Yuta couldn’t quite tell, but he could faintly hear the sound of screaming coming from inside.  
  
“NO ENTRY. RETURN TO YOUR CAR, NOW,” the policeman was yelling into a loud speaker to the long queue of cars.  
  
“Excuse me,” Sicheng asked, in broken Korean, tapping his arm. He immediately turned to the young father, only noticing him then. “Why can not go in?”  
  
“Sir, there has been a large riot, we can not let you in.”  
  
“Well it certainly doesn’t look like a fucking riot, what kind of riot needs hazmat suited soldiers to deal with it?” Yuta piped up, moving closer to Sicheng.  
  
“Sorry it’s just… we really just want to get home, we have two kids in the car and-“   
  
Yuta was interrupted by a crazed woman launching onto the back of the man, and implanting her teeth into the soft flesh of his neck. Yuta and Sicheng let out a yell each, with Yuta instantly dragging Sicheng away. The pale woman used her to teeth to rip out a large chunk of the man’s skin, using her unusually sharp teeth to chew on it sloppily. Her black hair was messy, and a large chunk was missing, her pale scalp bleeding. The sight was nauseating for both men who watched it happen at their feet.  
  
“WHAT THE FUCK?” Yuta yelled, looking as the woman was eating the man in front of him. However, once Yuta had finished his sentence, her head snapped upwards, using her pale arm to grab onto Yuta’s leg. She pulled hard, causing Yuta to collapse to the ground. Luckily, Sicheng was there in an instant, and stamped on the woman’s arm and kicking her in the face before she could clamp her teeth down onto Yuta’s shin. When she was dazed, Sicheng instantly moved down to the, now dead, police man, and snatched the pistol out of his cold hands.  
  
Within a few seconds, the crazed woman had stumbled up to her feet, and looked at Sicheng with an evil expression. After a few more seconds after the fight, the policeman who was just bitten arose behind her, a washed out look invading his face. Blood was seeping from his neck where the woman had just bitten him, and he angrily outstretched his arms to the pair.  
  
“Stay the fuck away!” Sicheng yelled, pointing the gun expertly at her. However, she wasn’t listening to a word the Chinese man had to stay, and continued to walk towards him. Yuta had regained his footing by this time, and was desperately looking around the floor for a weapon. Unfortunately, he had no such luck.  
  
“Yukkie, we have to go, this isn’t normal,” Sicheng shouted, pushing the woman down to the ground, and menacingly pointing the gun at her, before backing away when the policeman walked over her body. Once she was on the ground, Sicheng turned around, and used his free hand to grab onto Yuta’s, the husbands running through the queue of cars.  
  
“How are we going to get the car out of here?” Yuta asked as they ran back to their rental.  
  
“We’ll just have to go on foot, there’s probably loads more of those things back there,” Sicheng shouted in response. Just as the ’90 liner said that, screaming was heard from the front of the queue, and gunshots began to resonate in the air. “I see the car, get them out!”  
  
Yuta was quick at his job, rushing to the other side of the car and grabbing the door handle, flinging it open. Renjun and Chenle looked worried as both their parents appeared on either side of them.  
  
“Guys, we’re going to be doing a lot of running,” Sicheng said as softly as he could, lifting Chenle into his arms using the hand that didn’t have a gun in it.  
  
“Why does Baba have a gun?” Renjun asked Yuta as he jumped out the car.  
  
“Trust me, we’ll need it,” Yuta quickly told Renjun.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Sichengie, what are we gonna do about the suitcases?” Yuta yelled over the car.  
  
“Agh…” Sicheng yelled back, opening the boot of the car. They had 3 suitcases between the 4 of them, 1 for each parent and the kids shared one. “I can’t carry Chenle and wield a gun and carry a suitcase all at once..”  
  
“All the important stuff is in yours, we can just leave mine behind!” The oldest responded. The screaming from the front of the queue was getting closer, signalling to them that time was quickly running out. “Junnie, you can take yours and Lele’s right?”  
  
“Uh huh!”  
  
“Attaboy,” Yuta said ruffling his hair. “Now lets go!” he yelled, hoisting up Sicheng’s suitcase, and sprinting off with Renjun in front of him. Sicheng and Chenle were on the other side of the lane of cars, but Yuta could still see his pink tipped hair bobbing from the other side of the road.  
  
“Take that exit!” Sicheng yelled after several minutes of running, pointing to the offramp on the right of them. The cars were dwindling now, and the airport behind them had smoke billowing from it’s roof. Screams were filling the air, with Renjun and Chenle becoming more and more worried. What was going to happen to the family?  
  
But Yuta still couldn’t let the image of that woman’s… ‘dead’ face leave his mind.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **14 / 10 / 2024  :  8:28pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Sicheng entered the parent’s bedroom from their ensuite, dressed in a pair of black pyjama shorts and a dark green crew neck sweatshirt with a geometric pattern on its front. His blonde hair was damp, and his face was slightly red and blotchy due to the skin care routine he had been following for the past couple of weeks. Nonetheless, Yuta still saw his husband as the most beautiful man alive as he walked over to the side of the bed where the former was lying down, scrolling through his phone. The older was dressed in a sleeveless black top and a pair of dark blue underwear, his brown hair looking scruffy but dry, and smiled at Sicheng as he approached him.  
  
“Hey Yukkie,” he whispered, sitting at the foot of the bed, next to Yuta’s toes.  
  
“Hey baby,” he replied, looking up from his phone and smiling.  
  
“I’m so tired,” Sicheng whispered, leaning back over Yuta’s legs, and raising his arms so he was covering the bed in a horizontal fashion. “Remember the days when we used to be able to stay up until 4am and talk about nothing?”  
  
Yuta grinned. “Those were the days, huh.”  
  
“Mhm,” Sicheng murmured back. “Now it’s half past 8 and I just want to go to sleep forever,” he chuckled. “Are the boys in bed?”  
  
“They should be,” Yuta muttered under his breath, looking down at his phone again. “You stay here, I’ll go tuck them in.”  
  
“Thank you~” Sicheng replied in a sing song tone, sitting up so Yuta could get off of the bed. The ’88 liner groaned due to his aching back, and walked out of the room. As he walked down the hallway, he gently opened the door to Chenle and Renjun’s shared bedroom, and was greeted with the sight of both of his boys sat upright and chatting. Well, Renjun was chatting, but Chenle most likely didn’t understand anything his older brother was saying.  
  
Both of them turned and looked up at their Dad as he entered the room and slowly closed the bedroom door. Gently, Yuta sat down and then laid across the double bed in which they shared, making a starfish shape with his body. Instantly the 2 boys leapt out of bed and jumped on him, to which Yuta grabbed them both in a hug with either arm and lifted them up playfully. After they finished giggling, Yuta sat up and set them back down under the covers, making sure to tuck them in so they would stay warm through the cold October night.  
  
“Do you need a drink?” Yuta asked the boys, before he sat up to go turn the light off. After both the young kids shook their head, Yuta leant over and planted a kiss on each of their foreheads. Standing up, Yuta opened the door to the bedroom and half stepped outside, tracing his finger on the light switch that decorated the walls, which were already painted in a hue of light blue with airplanes and clouds painted on by Sicheng himself.  
  
“Goodnight guys, I love you,” Yuta whispered.  
  
“Love you too!” the boys responded, looking up at their Dad with doe eyes plastered on both of their faces. Once the last smile was given and the light switch was flicked off, Yuta closed the door, and sauntered back down the dark corridor before he arrived back at his bedroom.  
  
Sicheng was sat on the bed with a mirror (that he’d taken from the bathroom) in one hand, whilst he was prodding his face every now and then with his free digits. After Yuta had undressed so he was just in his underwear, he crawled over to his side of the bed and wrapped his arms around Sicheng’s stomach, before planting his head on the younger’s shoulder.  
  
“Watcha doin’?”  
  
“Agh, it’s just this skin care regime. I don’t know if it’s working,” Sicheng mused to himself, looking in the mirror and examining his red blemishes.  
  
“You look beautiful,” Yuta whispered, before kissing Sicheng’s neck. Sicheng blushed beneath the enflamed marks, and set the mirror down, before leaning back, re-positioning the pair so Yuta was now lying down with Sicheng’s head in his lap. Almost on instinct, Yuta began to run his hands through the youngers hair, as he looked up at the ceiling.  
  
“I love you Yukkie.”  
  
“I love you more,” Yuta smiled, before lifting Sicheng up and positioning him next to him. After he was in a comfortable position, the older grabbed the edge of the duvet and pulled it over the couple. Immediately after, Sicheng moved closer to Yuta and intertwined their legs, with the latter spooning the younger and planting a kiss on the top of his head.  
  
“Goodnight Sichengie,”  
  
“Goodnight~”  
  
Yuta leant over his husband and clicked the bedside lamp off.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 07 / 2027  :  03:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta lay awake on his uncomfortable, single bed. He had his hands crossed on his bare chest, looking up at the darkness that was shrouding the ceiling of the ‘Bachelor’ shack, which was where all the single men had to stay whilst they stayed at Jaehyun’s camp. Families and women lived in different shacks, some of the more ‘special’ families getting to sleep in their own shed.  
  
It was all very unfair. Who knew that even in the apocalypse, the class system would survive?  
  
But that wasn’t really on Yuta’s mind. Right now, he longed for Sicheng’s touch and warmth, but when he moved his hands out underneath the thin covers of the bed, he was met with the cold feel of the mattress. He was always optimistic, if a bit delusional, in the fact that maybe one day, he’ll reach out his hands and eventually feel Sicheng there, and they can cuddle like they always did before going to sleep.  
  
That was one of the highest ranking things on Yuta’s list of things he missed; a hug from Sicheng before they went to sleep, legs naturally intertwining between each other, soft kisses planted on each other’s cheek before their chests would begin to rise heavily in unconsciousness.  
  
Without Sicheng, though, Yuta couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t remember the last time he could properly say he’d _slept._ Drifted in and out and consciousness, yes, he could say that he’d gained enough energy to not collapse when he got out of bed. But he hadn’t been able to truly sleep and regain himself for the next day. His mind was constantly running, constantly reminding Yuta of his lost family, in fear that one day he’ll wake up and not be able to remember them at all.  
  
In a world full of the undead, that was still Yuta’s biggest fear. Not being able to remember those he loved.  
  
Just the thought of not remembering Sicheng, Renjun and Chenle… it made Yuta’s chest clench in pain. It was beyond Yuta’s control, but all of a sudden, the memories of each of his family’s deaths began to play in his head like a slide show he couldn’t stop.  
  
First, the old woman grabbing onto Renjun and clamping down onto his shoulder. Yuta watched it in slow motion, his fists clenching even now, more than 2 years since the event. If only he had been there, able to whisk his boy away from the danger, like Ten did to Jeno. It was so fucking avoidable.  
  
Then, finding Chenle’s body in that stream, covered in flies, the gruesome bullet hole in his head virtually destroying Yuta, and physically destroying Sicheng. It was the final match stick thrown onto the bonfire that was Sicheng’s will to live.  
  
And finally, holding Sicheng’s limp figure beneath that elm tree, feeling the coldness of his skin. The skin that used to be so warm when they held each other, the skin that was always there for him when they first fell in love and when they finally departed.  
  
His mind began to race a mile a minute, Yuta writhing slightly beneath the covers.  
  
_I’m not good enough.  
  
They died because of me.  
  
It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. IT’S ALL MY FAULT.  
  
I KILLED THEM. THEY’RE DEAD BECAUSE OF ME.  
  
_ With shaking hands, Yuta threw the covers off, and grabbed his coat from the foot of his bed, hastily putting it on. Slipping his boots on, he struggled in leaving the cabin, his already limited vision becoming blurrier due to the tears. Only when the wooden door was finally shut, the cold air greeting Yuta, did he fall he to the snow covered ground, gasping for air.  
  
As the time passed, Yuta’s emotions eventually cooled, the panic attack subsiding. He gently wiped his forehead which was slick with sweat, despite the freezing conditions Yuta was currently kneeling in. Eventually, Yuta used his sweaty palms to cling to the side of the wood cabin, and struggled to his feat. His calm, cold and collected personality was slowly returning to him, with his breathing becoming more manageable, and his senses returning to him.  
  
After a few minutes of Yuta returning back to normal, he all of a sudden heard something making noise on the other side of the cabin. No… it was someone, as the noise was definitely sobbing. Deciding to investigate, Yuta creeped around the cabin, and poked his head around to see who the suspect was.  
  
It was difficult to make out who it was by the lighting, but the light brown hair and the gentle nature of the crying made it out to obviously be one person.  
  
“Jaemin?”  
  
“AH-“ He started, jumping out of his skin. With a sniffle, he dried his eyes, before backing away slightly.  
  
“Are you okay?” Yuta whispered, moving out from behind the cabin, so he was in full view. The answer was obvious; Jaemin was not okay. His hair was extremely dishevelled, and his shirt was drenched with sweat and tears.  
  
“I.. It- Ah.. He-Guh..-“ Jaemin stammered, his breath rate rapidly increasing.  
  
“Calm down, Jaemin, it’s okay,” Yuta whispered, moving closer to him and gently taking the boy’s hands in both of his own. “Lets sit down, come on,”  
  
The crying boy grasped onto Yuta’s hand, and slid down the side of the cabin, Yuta groaning slightly as his knees began to ache when he followed the younger’s actions. Sitting in the otherwise silent air, Yuta listened to Jaemin’s incoherent babbling, with the older literally not being able to make out a single word. After a few minutes of this, however, Jaemin had noticeably calmed down, his breathing returning to a more calm pace.  
  
“You okay…?” Yuta asked calmly. Suddenly, he bit his tongue. It reminded him of when he first met Sicheng… but Yuta managed to calm himself down. For once, he felt like he had someone to take care of again. Even if it was just for a few minutes until he stopped crying.  
  
Jaemin remained silent besides his sniffling.  
  
Yuta smirked all of a sudden. “I just think it’s funny that we were both having panic attacks at the same time,” he whispered.  
  
“Huh?” Jaemin said, turning to Yuta. “You had a panic attack?”  
  
“Sure did.”  
  
“But… you’re always so cold,” Jaemin whispered. “No offence.”  
  
“None taken.”  
  
Pursing his lips, Jaemin was wondering whether he should step over the line of just being acquaintances with Yuta. He had no idea how the older would react to the following question, as it really could go either way. But… he felt that they were currently both in vulnerable states, and perhaps talking would make it better.  
  
“W-What was wrong?” the 17 year old whispered.  
  
Yuta froze initially, before letting out a sigh. He moved both of his hands onto his lap, and looked out to the sky.  
  
“I just miss my family,” Yuta sighed. “I feel like it’s my fault that they’re not here today.”  
  
“Oh…” Jaemin sighed.  
  
“Yeah. It fucking sucks.”  
  
“I’m sorry to hear that.” The younger whispered.  
  
There was a… not exactly ‘comfortable’ silence, but it most definitely wasn’t awkward. The two guys were revelling in each other’s shared sadness.  
  
“What about you, kid?” Yuta asks back.  
  
“I just…” Jaemin let out a choked sob suddenly. “Do you really want to know?”  
  
Yuta nodded gently. “If you want to talk about it, that is.” So with that statement lingering in the air, Jaemin opened his lips and began to speak.  
  
“When this whole thing broke out, I was on a field trip,” he covered his mouth slightly, before letting go. “It took me weeks to walk back home, but when I got there, my whole family had left.”  
  
Yuta patted his back.  
  
“Did you find them?” he whispers softly.  
  
He felt like he already knew the answer.  
  
“No. To this day, I have no idea what happened to my family. It keeps me awake at night… should I still be looking for them? What if they’re looking for me, but I’m stuck in this shitty-“ he gasped, “-sorry, camp…”  
  
Yuta looked down. He truly related to Jaemin, in some sense. Every day and every night, Yuta is haunted by the unknown that surrounds Chenle’s death. He can’t even imagine the pain intensified that would be applied if all of his family’s deaths were unknown. Yuta witnessed Renjun’s, and Sicheng’s was pretty self explanatory. But Jaemin… he truly had no idea. He must be so frightened.  
  
All of a sudden, Jaemin was cast into a new light for Yuta. Had he really been making it on his own for more than 2 years? He must have had some help, obviously; no one could of survived for this long in this world with no outside aid. Nonetheless, Jaemin became much more respectable in Yuta’s eyes. For the most part of the apocalypse, Yuta had his family supporting him. But when they left, what did he do? He transformed into a completely different person; devoid of emotion. Yuta starved himself when he had plenty of food, wasted himself away over the horrible guilt he felt over the loss of his loved ones, over the feeling of failure that he just couldn’t protect them, despite making countless promises. Only when he arrived at a cement plant turned survivor base, where people willingly took care of him thanks to the kindness of their own hearts, did he learn to keep fighting, to take Sicheng’s words of encouragement on board. But Jaemin… he’d managed to do all of this by himself, with no real closure on the whereabouts of his family.  
  
The kid was strong, and not just some snivelling teen that Yuta once thought he was.  
  
“You’re a tough kid to go through all of that, Jaemin. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this all alone.”  
  
“T-Thanks, Yuta,” he whispered, wiping his tears.  
  
“Do you feel better now?” Yuta asked, to which Jaemin nodded. “Good. Now, I’m hungry, so I’m gonna go look for some food…” Yuta wasn’t actually that hungry, but he wanted to distract Jaemin from his depressive thoughts. And what better way to stick it to Jaehyun in the process?  
  
“Are you allowed to do that?” Jaemin whispered, looking up as Yuta regained his footing.  
  
“Nope. Coming?”  
  
Jaemin grinned. “Okay!~”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **21 / 09 / 2011  :  09:02pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“That was nicer than I expected.”  
  
Yuta smiled at Sicheng’s statement as they stood on the steps leading up to the younger’s dormitory. Ever since Sicheng had began speaking in Chinese with Yuta, who luckily already knew the language fluently, he had opened up so much and was much more friendly with the older Japanese boy.  
  
“Did you not think it’d be nice?” Yuta asked with a slight grin. His Chinese was rusty before, but now he was speaking the language fluidly, as though he’d been speaking it his whole life.  
  
All of a sudden, Sicheng’s eyes widened in fright. “N-No! I meant-“  
  
“I’m kidding, Sicheng,” the older giggled.  
  
“Stop! You know I can’t get sarcasm,” Sicheng mock frowned, folding his arms, but Yuta could tell he was just joking.  
  
“You have no excuse… you know that we’re speaking in Chinese, right…?”  
  
“It’s not my fault you’re just some _expert_ at languages~” the younger smiled as he playfully touched Yuta on the left bicep, blushing slightly when he realised how muscular his tutor actually was.  
  
Yuta picked up on Sicheng’s sudden blush, and decided to use it to his advantage. All of a sudden, Yuta lifted both of his arms in a stretch, arching his back slightly, designed to use his tight shirt to showcase his muscular arms.  
  
“Sorry, just a bit tired now,” Yuta smirked, seeing Sicheng looking in… awe? That was probably a stretch to far, but by Sicheng’s expression, he could tell that his plan had worked. “I should… get going.”  
  
“Y-Yeah. Thank you for such a lovely date though!” Sicheng smiled. “I really enjoyed it~”  
  
Yuta paused, perhaps he was gaining his courage, before he ushered: “Maybe we could do it again sometime?”  
  
Sicheng turned shy all of a sudden and nodded, using his sweater paws to gently scratch his nose. “That’d be good.”  
  
“Great!”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
The pair stood awkwardly in front of the door to the block of dorms.  
  
It felt like there was an elephant in the atmosphere: _were they going to kiss?_ And if so, who would initiate it? It was crossing both of their minds, but… were they confident enough? Both of them believed that the other may not reciprocate the feelings, and so a sense of uneasiness lingered over them. If they _did_ kiss, would it just ruin the dynamic between them? They were tutor and student, after all…  
  
_Fuck it,_ thought Yuta. _  
  
_ Yuta leaned down to close the gap between the pair of them, the boy’s lips meeting. Instantly, fireworks coursed through each of the veins as the kiss began to deepen, Sicheng’s soft lips overloading Yuta’s senses with their sweet taste. Slowly, Yuta moved closer to Sicheng whilst still kissing him, and wrapped one of his arms around the younger to press them closer together. If they could’ve kept kissing, they would’ve, but the need to breathe won out. They both pulled away from the kiss and began to giggle. All that was on Yuta’s mind was how soft Sicheng’s lips were, how beautiful his hair looked when Yuta had ran his hand through it.  
  
“Goodnight, Sicheng.”  
  
“Have a safe trip home, Yuta.”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2028  :  04:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta looked up to the dark grey sky, which was barely visible through the canopy of pine trees that towered above the pair.  
  
“Looks like a storm is coming,” Ten whispered. “Talk about a bad omen.”  
  
Sensing Ten’s worry, Yuta let out a short sigh. To be frank, Yuta was kind of getting… he wouldn’t say pissed off. That wasn’t correct. But he was quite agitated to see how angsty Ten was getting over Johnny’s disappearance, when the pair both knew how capable Johnny was at… well, everything. “Honestly, Ten, I’m sure Johnny is fine. Jeno was right yknow… he’s not exactly vulnerable. He can fight off Jaehyun if he needed to.”  
  
“It’s still scary, though,” Ten whispered. “I can’t lose him, Yuta. I can’t fucking lose him… if he goes, then I go.”  
  
“Don’t say that.”  
  
“I-“  
  
“Who would take care of Jeno? You can’t just jump ship. People love you and care about you. Don’t abandon them like that.” Yuta’s words were loaded, dripping with passive aggressiveness. Ten had so many people loving him still, yet who did Yuta have, that he could say truly loved him? No one. Absolutely no one. They were all dead. People would care if he died, sure, but his death wouldn’t destroy anyone. Not like his loved one’s deaths destroyed him.  
  
Ten pursed his lips as they continued through the forest. “That’s what I’m worried about. If we both die, who would take care of him? Or, god forbid… what if Jeno died?” the words seemed to be painful for Ten to whisper. He ran a stressed hand through his black hair as they continued to walk through the forest.  
  
Yuta was silent, with the only sound being the pair’s boots crunching the snow beneath them. After a few moments of awkward silence, Ten spoke up again.  
  
“Yuta, how did you do it?”  
  
“Do what?”  
  
“When… when Renjun and Chenle died? How did you cope with it?”  
  
Yuta looked straight ahead. “I didn’t.”  
  
Silence shrouded the pair once again as they continued to walk through the forest. They were getting closer to the town in which they suspected Jaehyun had sent Johnny to, as the trees were beginning to thin out, and rooftops were visible in the distance.  
  
“Honestly, Ten,” Yuta said suddenly. “Your family are going to be just fine. I’m sure of it. That one kid has so many people looking over him, that I’d be fucking shocked if he received a scratch from the furniture, let alone a bite from the undead.”  
  
Ten gently pat Yuta’s back. “Thanks, Yuta.”  
  
“Wait-“ Yuta put his hand up, stopping the Thai man. “What’s this?” he whispered, kneeling down. Yuta inspected the snow, and the light red that sprinkled the top of it. “Is this blood?”  
  
Ten knelt down. “Shit…”  
  
“He must be close by then,” Yuta concluded. “Come on, let’s go. If he’s bleeding, then we need to get there sooner rather than later.”  
  
Before Ten had gotten up, Yuta was pacing off in search of Johnny.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **1? / 12 / 2025  :  11:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta and Sicheng were laying under a thin blanket, whilst resting on the cold wood of the top floor of the barn. Several families were situated within the barn, the majority of them sleeping, however as Yuta peered over the edge of the flooring his family were located on, he could see some lanterns flickering in various placements down the structure. The Nakamoto family’s lantern was at Yuta’s feet, flickering in the chilling wind that was creeping in through the cracks of the walls.   
  
On the Japanese man’s left lay Chenle, with his back facing his Father. The young boy’s body was rising and falling gently, a sight which brought a smile to Yuta’s face; he’d been struggling to sleep for several months by this point, so whenever he would be asleep by a ‘usual’ time, it was counted as a small victory by his Dad. On Yuta’s right was Sicheng, who had his legs intertwined with the older, whilst Sicheng’s head was resting on the former’s shoulder. Sicheng’s dainty hand was playing with Yuta’s fingers, moving it between his own digits, whilst looking vacantly ahead.  
  
“Yukkie,” Sicheng whispered, stopping the motion in his finger tips.  
  
“Yeah, baby?” The older responded, tightening his right arms grip around his husband, whilst his left hand moved to catch the younger’s one which was placed on his chest.  
  
“I-It’s been a hard year,” Sicheng whispered, sniffling slightly. As Yuta looked down, he noticed that the younger’s eyes were glossy with tears (not an uncommon sight), to which Yuta immediately shifted his body on his side so they were facing face to face. “But I… I haven’t really asked you how you’ve dealt with it,” Sicheng sniffled.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Yuta gently used his fingers to tilt Sicheng’s head upwards, forcing the Chinese man into making eye contact.  
  
“I’ve been selfish, Yuta. You’ve been my rock, and you’ve always been there for me, throughout this whole situation. I’d be dead if you weren’t here… I can never be more thankful that I met you in my entire life,” Sicheng sobbed, edging closer to Yuta and burying his head in the older’s chest. “I love you so much, I’m sorry,” Sicheng cried, wrapping his arms tightly around the older, as though he could leave at any moment. Sicheng was pressing his entire body into Yuta’s, wetting his sleeveless shirt with his tears.  
  
“What are you sorry about?” Yuta couldn’t help but smirk as he comforted his crying husband, soothingly rubbing his back.  
  
“That you’re stuck with me,” Sicheng sighed, subduing himself slightly. “You’re stuck with a fucking mess for a husband who can’t even keep his own child alive, and you don’t deserve that, Yuta, you don’t, you’re too good for me, you’re too good for this world,”  
  
Yuta pursed his lips.  
  
“Renjun’s death wasn’t either of our faults, Sicheng. No one could of stopped that from happening. We both agreed that he’s in a better place right now, didn’t we?”  
  
Sicheng gingerly nodded.  
  
“And I am not stuck with you,” Yuta grinned, squeezing the younger. “I love just as much as I did when I first met you, when I first kissed you, when we exchanged our vows, when I moved to a different country with you, when we had our children together, nothing will stop me from loving you Sicheng,”  
  
“This is what I mean,” Sicheng moved away from Yuta, looking him in his eyes, which were catching the light of the lantern that was sat by their feet. “You’re too perfect for me, Yuta. When would I of ever said something like that?”  
  
“You don’t need to say stuff like that to make me happy, Sicheng. Just your presence is what keeps me going. I’m here solely to protect you and Lele, baby, no one else. I don’t need sweet words, I just want to make this life as easy and comfortable for both of you.”  
  
“I want that for you too, Yukkie,”  
  
“Then why are you so upset, baby?” Yuta smirked, planting a kiss on the older’s head. The younger giggled slightly, having calmed down now. “Do you feel better now?”  
  
Sicheng nodded.  
  
“Good. Don’t be afraid to talk to me. Please? I can’t read your mind. If anything ever worries you, please just talk to me. Okay?”  
  
Sicheng nodded once more. “Okay, I promise. I love you, Yuta.”  
  
“I love you more, Sichengie.”  
  
“Goodnight~” Sicheng whispered, leaning out from underneath their thin blanket and blowing their lantern out, before returning to the warm arms of his husband.  
  
The pair closed their eyes as Sicheng used Yuta’s rising chest as a pillow, whilst Yuta was resting his head on the pair’s backpack. But, something was still irritating Sicheng.  
  
“Yuta?”  
  
“Yes?” He whispered.  
  
“Is Lele okay? Isn’t he cold?” Sicheng whispered, sitting up, and leaning over Yuta to check on his son. Yuta turned his head, and both looked at the slightly shaking small body of their youngest child. Wordlessly, Sicheng knelt up, and scooped the tiny boy into his arms. Much to both of their surprise, he remained asleep, despite the sudden movement. Then, Sicheng moved closer to Yuta, still with Chenle in his arms, placing their son on top of the gap where the men’s bodies met. Once Sicheng had moved the quilt back over the family, the former looked over Chenle’s head and blew a kiss to his husband, who had already fallen asleep.  
  
And despite Chenle’s body taking up the limited space of the quilt anyway, with Yuta’s left and Sicheng’s right leg poking out of their makeshift ‘bed’, the family had a well deserved rest that night.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 03 / 2026  :  10:4?pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Immediately, panic flushed through Yuta’s body as he realised Sicheng was gone. Countless numbers of scenarios, both positive and negative, flooded through his mind as to what could of happened to him, but Yuta shook his head; now wasn’t the time to think. Now was the time to act.  
  
“Sicheng?” Yuta called out loudly. He gripped his gun in apprehension of possible undead lurking in dark corners of the gas station, or of bandits seeking to take advantage of a confused middle aged man. However, once there was no response, Yuta called out for Sicheng again, desperation dripping from his words.  
  
The light brown haired man whipped his head around the store, looking for any signs of Sicheng. Perhaps he was there but just not answering him? Yuta wouldn’t put it past him; ever since Chenle’s death, Sicheng had completely shut himself off, so the Japanese man set about searching every nook and cranny of the store in the hopes that his husband was just hiding.  
  
But it was to no avail.  
  
As Yuta stepped out of the store and onto the cold tarmac of the gas station, he noticed that the car door was open. Hopefully, Sicheng had just gotten into the car instead of waiting for Yuta inside.  
  
Again, Yuta was left disappointed.  
  
Instead, what Yuta found in place of his husband, was a piece of scrap paper, lying on the bonnet of the car with a rock placed in the centre of it to prevent it from flying into the wind. Next to the paper was a shoe box, with some brand of popular footwear decorating the side of it. Cautiously, as though the piece of paper was a bear trap, Yuta discarded of the rock and took the scrap piece into his fingers.  
  
On one side of the paper was the credits to a car manual, and the edge of it was jagged, suggesting to Yuta that the sheet was ripped out of the vehicle handbook. However, on the other side, was scribbled pencil writing on a blank sheet of paper. With a deep breathe, Yuta began to read it out loud to himself.  
  
“My dear Yuta.”  
  
_Oh fuck.  
  
_ “Husband. Soulmate. Love of my life. These are just a few words that I can use to describe you. You’re completely amazing to me, and you have shown to me in this past year how pure of a man you really are. I am so thankful to have met you, and I would not have changed anything about us for the world.”  
  
Yuta’s voice gave way slightly upon reading the next line.  
  
“Which is why it hurts me to leave you like this.”  
  
Suddenly, every bone inside of Yuta’s body felt like they had turned to liquid form, causing him to collapse on the ground, his vision turning white. No, he can’t be leaving… Sicheng is quite literally Yuta’s world, his whole reason for living. Was this feeling not requited?  
  
“Yukkie, I can’t keep going on like this. It’s unfair on both of us. I love you so much. You’ve been there for me through thick and thin, you’ve stayed despite my awful past. You’ve shown me what true happiness is, and you taught me how to feel after a long period of distrust and anxiety. Yukkie, please don’t take this as though I don’t love you anymore; I do. I love you more than the world, but I just… I can’t keep leading this life. It’s over for me now, baby. I hope that you will see the positives of this. You will have one less mouth to feed, and you won’t need to worry about me anymore. Isn’t that good? ^^ You’re always amazing at seeing the positive side of things, Yuta. Don’t let this be an exception.”  
  
_He can’t of done this.  
  
_ “Yuta! You can do it! I believe in you! Renjun did, Chenle did, and I do. I love you so much, Yuta. Nothing was your fault; you couldn’t of done anything more than you did to prevent it. You worked so hard to get us all to safety, something I will never ever forget. You got us so far, but I’m afraid that this is my end of the road. I will never leave your side where I’m going; I will always be looking over you, and hoping that one day you will find the true happiness that you deserve. _You’re my universe.”  
  
_ The last 3 words were written in Japanese, a statement which brought even more tears to Yuta’s eyes. How had he remembered?  
  
“Thank you for walking into my life.  
Love, Your Sicheng.”  
  
At the end of the letter, several ‘x’s were scribed after Sicheng’s name, the last few becoming increasingly shaky, showing the uneasiness of the person’s hand who wrote this. Yuta gently set the letter down, before noticing the shoe box on the bonnet of the car again. With shaking hands, Yuta picked the small box up off of the car, and inspected it, drying his eyes using his jacket sleeve.  
  
Upon opening it, Yuta realised that it was a small box full of little memories, one of which being a silver locket. Yuta pressed down on the side, causing the locket to gently open. Inside of which was a heart-shaped photo of Sicheng and Yuta on the beach, with Yuta’s arms wrapped around a smiling Sicheng’s waist, the orange sun from the setting sky illuminating both of their bodies in a bright orange tone. Sicheng’s smile brought an awful sensation to Yuta’s stomach; one that can only be described as _longing_. Yuta’s dirt-caked finger tips moved itself over the image, as though he could feel the sweltering heat of the beach they were stood on in the photo.  
  
Yuta’s thoughts were disturbed by a gunshot sounding from the forest not too far away.  
  
_No. It can’t be-  
  
_ But Yuta was gone like a flash of lightning, with his note and locket still in one hand, whilst his pistol was in the other. Running as fast as he could, he ran straight into the underbrush of the surrounding forest, in the direction of the gunshot. Nothing mattered in this moment but Sicheng. He couldn’t lose him. He _wouldn’t_ lose him.  
  
As Yuta gained on a clearing, he wished that he would never of had to see what lay in front of him.  
  
His husband’s dead body.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **12 / 12 / 2024  :  10:48am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“Brr, it’s chilly,” Yuta muttered, as he held Chenle’s gloved hand in his own bare one. The blonde haired boy looked up at his Dad and smiled, his hair completely hidden by the bright red bobble hat he was wearing. As well as this, he was also clothed in a black coat with a fluffy hood, his parents wasting no expense to make sure he was warm in the cold winter they were enduring this year. As for Yuta, he was wearing a blue puffer jacket with black jeans, whilst wearing a navy blue plaid scarf that was wrapped around his neck.  
  
“Yukkah! Yukkah, where we go again?” Chenle asked Yuta, his voice barely audible over the bustling of the crowd. Yuta smiled at the use of the Japanese title, almost as though it was his son paying attention to his culture as well as Sicheng’s. The pair were currently walking through Shanghai city centre, which was full to the brim of people doing their annual Christmas shopping; the Nakamoto family included.  
  
“Well, first we’re going to the book store to look for your Baba’s presents, and then we’re going to go to the sports store for Junnie’s soccer boots- WHICH,” Yuta raised his voice, before whispering to Chenle, “you’re not going to tell him about, okay?”  
  
Chenle nodded earnestly.  
  
“And then after that we’ll stop and get something to eat, okay buddy?”  
  
“Okay!” Chenle grinned, turning back to look ahead. Shanghai was absolutely packed, and the snow flurry that had arrived this morning was not making vision any better. Luckily, the neon from signs that were situated on the sides of buildings lended some indication as to where most stores were. However, Yuta found himself accidentally walking into various potted plants on the open-air mall several times.  
  
Yuta pointed to the book store, with Chenle’s face lighting up instantly. After fighting to get through the crowd, the pair of boys finally stumbled into the book store, snow falling off of their shoes and outerwear on the nice dark green carpet. There was a hushed atmosphere inside, which juxtaposed the amount of people milling about the shelves, the majority of them carrying various shopping bags on their arms. Quietly, Yuta began to lead Chenle to the escalator, and once they were on, Yuta detached his hand to open one of the shopping bags he was holding.  
  
“Buddy, here, put this on,” Yuta whispered, taking out the bear mask he’d bought earlier. The mixture of snow, pollution and the crowd were making Yuta anxious for his child’s health. Putting the discarded packaging in his shopping bag temporarily, Yuta gently put the mask around Chenle’s small ears, rewarding the older Japanese man with an eye smile. Once Yuta had finishing positioning his own black one on his face, the pair had reached the top of the escalator.  
  
With Chenle still holding onto Yuta’s hand, he was lead over to the romance section of the bookstore, with posters and potted plants lining the walls wherever the young boy looked. However, Yuta let go of the smaller hand in order to take a red-coloured book into both of his hands, inspecting the cover before turning it over to read the blurb.  
  
“Hm… Lele, do you think Baba would like thi- Chenle?” Yuta asked, looking to his side. In just a brief moment, Chenle was gone.  
  
“Chenle?”  
  
Yuta scanned over the busy bookstore, before a bright red bobble hat stuck out from the crowd. In a gentle jog, Yuta approached Chenle, and wrapped his arm around the younger’s stomach, the ’20 liner giggling at the sensation.  
  
“Chenle, buddy, please don’t ever walk away like that, okay?” Yuta said, worry flooding through his tone. “It’s so easy to get lost, and not everyone is nice like we are.”  
  
“O-Okay…” Chenle said, confused. Regardless, he took Yuta’s hand back to the romance section, where Yuta picked up a new book, this one was much thinner, and began to flick through it. After (what seemed like an eternity to Chenle) 20 minutes, Yuta paid for 3 books, and the pair walked back out into the crowded street.  
  
The snow had gotten worse, and vision was incredibly limited, with Yuta barely being able to see down the shopping centre. So with this in mind, Yuta decided to take a short cut through the inside of the large shopping complex, in an attempt to escape the weather. Chenle still in hand, Yuta strolled into the complex, letting out a sigh of relief when he could hear himself think again. As they began to walk through, Yuta became slightly distracted when he saw the glint of jewellery in a store window, strolling over to it aimlessly.  
  
“Ahh, so pretty,” Yuta admired, looking at the rainbow of jewels that lay in front of him. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he took a photo of the sight. It was a new tradition Yuta was trying to embrace, after he realised that he had no photos of any of his nice memories in life. So instead of becoming glum thinking about the lack of ‘evidence’ of a good life (which Yuta felt was pointless because if it was truly a good life you would still feel it’s impacts), he decided to begin a small photography campaign, where he’d take photo of the things in life that made him smile.  
  
“Ooh, that one has a fish on it,” Yuta zoomed in on his phone. “And that one has a scorpion, so pretty… you’re a Scorpio, Lele,” Yuta looked down to his left where Chenle was last stood, but instead looked down at the empty tiling of the floor. Yuta turned back to the jewellery. “You’d look cute if you had that when you’re olde-“  
  
Yuta did a double take to the empty space next to him.  
  
“Chenle?”  
  
The older Japanese man’s head flicked instantly to his left, right, behind him, desperately looking for where the young boy had gone.  
  
“CHENLE?” He yelled, his voice wavering. Scanning the crowd for the same red bobble hat was useless this time, he couldn’t see past the bustling group of people pushing against him. Desperately, Yuta went into the middle of the large hallway littered with shops and stalls on either side, and climbed onto one of the steel benches. Looking through the crowd from a vantage point proved to be much more useful this time, as he could see right down the corridor.  
  
“CHENLE!” Yuta screamed, looking around as he gasped for air, running his hand through his light brown hair in a crazed state. His mind was going into overdrive, the paternal adrenaline was kicking in. What the fuck could of happened to him? Did someone take him? Has he got lost? Did he wander into some random store? Is he hiding?  
  
Yuta’s blood was boiling, both in anger and terror at what could possibly be happening to Chenle right now. He had specifically told him not to leave his side. As the man was about to jump down from the bench, a flash of a red bobble hat further down the hallway was the centre of Yuta’s attention. Picking up his bags, Yuta began to charge down the hallway against the flow of people, unapologetically slamming into their shoulder’s as he sprinted towards his son.  
  
“CHENLE!” Yuta yelled, as he made a sharp left turn into a quieter area of the mall. Ahead of him, a large burly man had his hand gripped around Chenle’s bicep. In front of Chenle and the man stood a woman with bright pink hair, wearing a long black coat which covered the majority of her outfit. As Yuta steadily walked toward the scene, regaining his breath (yet the adrenaline was coursing more than ever after seeing a stranger holding onto his kid), he listened to the conversation.  
  
“Honey, do you know this man?” Asked the woman.  
  
“No! No!” Chenle shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. The towering man above Chenle, who was wearing a tan trench coat, scoffed.  
  
“Agh, Zhongie, stop being silly,” he smiled almost apologetically, laughing slightly to the woman. However, it was obvious that she did not believe him. As the woman opened her mouth to speak, Yuta had arrived into the group.  
  
However, it will forever be lost whatever she had been meaning to say, as Yuta forcefully pushed the taller man down to the ground from the side, resulting in a loud thud on the tiled floor. The predator looked up at Yuta with fear, who was standing above him with his chest puffed out and his hands balled into a fist. As Chenle scampered behind the woman, Yuta crashed his knee down onto the man’s stomach, and balled up his shirt in his fist, causing the man to be brought upwards by Yuta’s strength.  
  
The Japanese man moved close to the other’s ear. “If I ever see you even _dare_ to look at my son again, let alone lay your fucking hands on him, I’ll kill you. I will fucking kill you. Do you understand?” Yuta could feel his knuckles turning white from the amount of aggression he was putting into holding this man’s shirt.  
  
“I-“  
  
“I said do you FUCKING understand?” Yuta yelled in his ear, balling the shirt up even tighter.  
  
“Ah-yes! Yes-“  
  
Yuta didn’t care what he had to say, to be honest. This was shown in the fact that Yuta threw him down to the floor, spitting on his writhing body, before wiping his lips and returning to the woman with Chenle.  
  
“Yukkah!” Chenle cried, running to the open arms of his father, who gripped him in a hug so tight that it caused the young boy to start to cough between his sobs. “Yukkah that man-“  
  
“I know, he’s not going to hurt you,” Yuta whispered, closing his eyes and hugging his son as they sat together on the cold floor of the shopping centre. When Yuta turned around, he was pleased to see the predator had scampered off like the rat he was. “You’re okay now,” Yuta soothed, kissing his bobble hat.  
  
However, once Yuta had gained his footing, he did a deep bow of thanks to the woman who had stopped him, who was watching the scene with a sad smile.  
  
“Thank you so much,” Yuta said to her. “Without you… God knows what would of happened to him. Thank you,” Yuta said, trying his hardest not to cry. He kept bowing in thanks, whilst Chenle was still clutching onto his right leg, sobbing ferociously.  
  
“It’s okay, dear,” the woman smiled. “There was obviously something wrong, he kept crying and thrashing against that man… is his name even ‘Zhongie’?”  
  
“No, his name is Chenle,” Yuta smiled, rubbing Chenle’s hair from under the bobble hat.  
  
“Ahh~” the lady grinned, before kneeling down. “Chenle, it’s very nice to meet you,” She smiled. “You were very brave.”  
  
“T-Thank you,” Chenle stuttered, cowering behind his father’s leg.  
  
Yuta paused. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”  
  
“Vivi.”  
  
“Ah, Chenle, what do you say to Vivi?” Yuta looked down.  
  
“Thank you, Vivi,” Chenle made out a weak smile, and used his coat to dry his tears. After the thanks had been given, and Yuta decided that it was time to go home regardless of if the shopping had been done or not, Chenle revealed that he had taken Yuta’s lesson of not walking away on board, but he couldn’t of helped it then, as the man forcibly took him away from the jewellery store, which made Yuta a lot _less_ angry about the whole situation, since Chenle was cleared of any blame at all.  
  
However, Yuta will never not blame himself for the near-kidnapping of his youngest son.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **21 / 04 / 2025  :  08:21pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“I got the tickets,” Yuta announced as he approached Sicheng, Renjun and Chenle, who were currently stood beneath a large neon red ‘Line 3’ direction board, pointing in the direction of the escalators.  
  
“Great,” Sicheng uttered in response, taking his orange coloured ticket, and checking Renjun and Chenle’s to make sure they had the right one. The family had just enjoyed a nice, albeit tiring, day in Busan sight seeing, and now they were going to head back to the hotel. “Everyone got your tickets?”  
  
“Yes!” Chenle and Renjun said at the same time, smiling up at Sicheng.  
  
“It’s just that way,” Yuta pointed at the ticket barriers, separating the main hall to the underground section of the station. As he took a sip of the bottle of water he was holding in one hand, he watched Sicheng, Renjun and Chenle go in first before him. Once Yuta was checked in, the small machine beeping and flinging the barrier doors open, the parents did 1 final head count before mounting the escalator.  
  
“So you used to live here?” Renjun asked, over the noise of the crowds making their way through the station.  
  
“Mhm. For four years. It was only after I finished and moved back to Japan where I met Baba, so he didn’t live here with me.”  
  
“How did you and Baba meet?”  
  
Yuta chuckled. “Well, when I got back to Japan I desperately wanted to move out from my Mom and Dad, but I didn’t have enough money, so I took up a job at the university translating for exchange students. And It was just so lucky that I had to help Sicheng with his translation of Japanese at University! If I had taken a different job, we would never have met.”  
  
“Weird… what if you and Baba weren’t paired up?” Renjun asked.  
  
“Dunno… we’d of still seen each other, but we probably wouldn’t have dated. Your Baba was really really shy back then, but translating meant he _had_ to speak to me,” Yuta grinned. That was true; had the translation aspect not of been in play, Sicheng most likely would never of had time to fall for Yuta.  
  
Eventually, they reached the bottom, and began to walk through a long corridor with advertisements displayed on large TV screens on either side. Yuta had to half walk with half drag Chenle as he kept stopping to watch them.  
  
“Ah, Yukkah! Yukkah look!” Chenle pointed to an advertisement for an aquarium, with large 3D fish in an assortment of colours swimming past the screen, Chenle jumping up to catch them. Slightly amused but mostly tired, Yuta nodded in acknowledgment and kept walking. However, Yuta’s gaze did catch on one of the TV screens; this one was different, as it wasn’t displaying an advert, but instead the coverage of the news. On the screen was a large red hazmat logo next to a reporter, who was quickly listing off several apparent symptoms. The oldest was too tired to stop and translate it, and anyway, Yuta had no time to stop and watch it.  
  
It unsettled Yuta, though. That couldn’t of been good news…  
  
“Hey, get off!” Sicheng yelled from in front of them. Some weird creep, with incredibly pale skin, latched himself onto the blonde man’s fore arm, only to be shaken off. Instinctively, Yuta ran to caught up with them, where the man was struggling on the floor. On his lips were… was it blood?  
  
“You okay?” Yuta quickly asked Sicheng, who nodded.  
  
“He only grabbed onto me…” he whispers back. Renjun and Chenle looked in shock from behind their parent’s legs at the man, as he struggled on the floor to regain his balance.  
  
“He’s just drunk,” Yuta says, dismissing the incident. Ushering the family along, they continue walking towards the end of the hallway, to the platform of the subway. After a tense few moments of walking, the family being relatively rattled from the ‘assault’, Yuta protectively wraps his arm around Sicheng’s shoulders, and kisses his cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he whispers.  
  
“Yeah, it’s just… weird. You know I don’t like being touched by anyone but you or the kids,” he whispers back. Yuta instantly nods in response, understanding his husband’s reaction.  
  
“It’s just ahea-“  
  
A shrill scream filled the corridor from behind them, where a woman in business attire was bleeding heavily from her forearm. The same man from before was biting down aggressively on it, several passers by having to pull him off. Sicheng let out a sharp gasp when he realised that the woman’s arm was practically ripped open.  
  
“Let’s go, guys, come on,” Yuta says calmly to the family, using both his hands to push the kids onwards, despite the fact they were gaping in fear at the attack that had just occurred. The man was actually becoming more aggressive, trying to grab onto some people who were restraining him, but that was all they saw before they were rushed onto the train platform.  
  
“Did he… bite her?” Sicheng asks, frowning in confusion.  
  
“I think so. Let’s just hope the train comes soon, aha~” Yuta smiles, trying to alleviate the tension.  
  
“What if that was me? I don’t fancy spending the night in hospital,” Sicheng shivered. Renjun and Chenle looked up to their parents. “But… I didn’t! So that’s a positive,” he said, leaning down and scruffing up both of the kid’s hair.  
  
Just as more yelling was heard from behind the pillars in which they stood at waiting for the train, the rumbling of tracks couldn’t of been heard at a better time. Quickly, the family boarded the train and found some seats. As it set off, Yuta looked through the windows of the train back to the platform, and the sight he saw felt like his stomach was twisted and turnt until no end.  
  
It was the woman with bussiness clothes on, with blood staining her shirt now, slowly walking to the fast moving train with a vacant look in her eyes.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2028  :  02:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“Johnny?”  
  
Yuta flicked his flashlight on and aimed it at the tall man, who was standing in the snow. He was standing alone, but his long winter coat and thick walking boots showed that he was definitely on his way out.  
  
“Where are you going?” Yuta asked.  
  
“Ah, Jaehyun told me that we desperately need some supplies before the morning, so he’s sent me out on a mission to go to the town just south of here.”  
  
Yuta looked at Johnny’s black hair that was covering his eyes, and at the scars on his hand when he went to move it back.  
  
“Does Ten know?” Yuta asked.  
  
“Yeah. But, it’s pretty urgent, so I’ve gotta get goin’.”  
  
“Alright. Good luck out there man,” the older man said, slapping Johnny’s back in encouragement.  
  
“Thanks, have a good night Yuta,” he said back, walking off into the darkness of the forest. As Johnny’s figure was quickly encased within the darkness of the woods, Yuta crossed his arms, and leaned on the outer wall of the base. It was times like this he appreciated, in all honesty. He’d let his mind wander to the rich bank of memories that held images of his family.  
  
But, more recently, his stomachs was contracting once again with the all too familiar feeling of longing. It still hadn’t quite settled in yet, that Sicheng, Chenle and Renjun were all gone forever, alongside the rest of his family and… basically anyone he ever knew. The small, delusional part of Yuta was enjoying the thought that any second now, Chenle would bound out from the snow behind him and clutch onto his leg, with Sicheng and Renjun popping out from the backs of the trees in front of him, yelling peek-a-boo before they all shared a family hug.  
  
He really missed them. He was never going to stop missing them. In his backpack in camp, he still had the box of memories that Sicheng had left him, the only addition Yuta had was Sicheng’s final note. Sometimes, when he’s feeling especially lonely, he’ll take the note out and read the words over and over that say all of his family are watching him. It comforts Yuta, the fact that right now, all 3 of his loved ones were watching him with pride as he was still alive. When Yuta was alone, sometimes he’d speak to himself as though he was talking to his family, and whilst if he was ever heard he’d definitely of been thought of as a psychopath, it helped soothe him.  
  
Huh… no one was around right now. It was the dead of night, hence why Yuta was on lookout duty, and he definitely couldn’t be heard over the strong winter wind.  
  
Suddenly, Yuta opened his lips.  
  
“I miss y-“  
  
“Yuta!”  
  
“Huh!?”  
  
The older Japanese man startled all of a sudden, when Vivi burst around the corner, grabbing onto his arm. She looked, somehow, prettier than she did when Yuta met her during that time when Chenle was abducted during a Christmas shopping trip. Her bright pink hair had since faded to a dry, greyish/pink mixture, and was tied up in a high ponytail. She was wearing a navy blue coat with a furry hood, and some black bottoms, with hiking boots. Yuta still remembered the shock that, of all people, he met fucking Vivi at Jaehyun’s stronghold.  
  
Yuta still didn’t know her story, though.  
  
“Were you talking to yourself?” She asked, all of a sudden. Vivi was speaking in Chinese, and whilst this wasn’t Yuta’s native tongue either, it was nice to hear it once in a while. It reminded him of his past life.  
  
“Uhh…”  
  
“It’s okay if you were,” she smiled. Vivi was slightly older than Yuta, just by a few years, yet her general attitude was so motherly, she made Yuta feel protected.  
  
But… Yuta still didn’t trust her. Not as much as Johnny and Ten, despite the fact she saved Chenle all those years ago. No… the apocalypse has changed people drastically, and Yuta was sure that Vivi was no different to these changes, much like himself. Johnny and Ten have proved countless times that they are genuine personalities, with both of them (including Jeno) managing to maintain hospitable attitudes on life, despite all the shit thrown at them. But Vivi… Yuta was still unsure on how she had changed.  
  
“Listen, Jaehyun tried something on Ten tonight,” she whispered. “It’s not going to be long before he gets tired of trying and…” pursing her lips, she turned away. “I don’t want to think of what he’d do to Johnny, or Jeno for that matter, let alone what he’d do to Ten. I told him to get out of here.”  
  
“Tried something..?”  
  
“I think it’s better if he tells you. But, I got him out of there before it escalated. I’m just afraid this will be the final straw,” she whispered.  
  
“Alright… well, Johnny just went on an emergency supplies trip, like literally a few minutes ago, so Jaehyun can’t really try anything tonight. So we’re safe for now, I guess.”  
  
Yuta paused.  
  
“Thanks for telling me, though. I appreciate it.”  
  
“That’s okay,” Vivi smiled. “Just… be careful, Yuta.”  
  
And with that, the Chinese woman vanished, along with any thoughts of Yuta remaining at this camp.  
  
He could not lose Ten, Johnny and Jeno.  
  
They were all he really had left of his old self, the happy, smiling and caring Yuta, the Yuta he was so desperately trying to regain and reform into.  
  
But… was it too late?  
  
  
  
~°•.   **05 / 09 / 2011  :  10:02am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Checking his phone for the upteenth time, Yuta was sat alone in the university library. Well, he wasn’t alone, there were several students walking around the area browsing for books or studying in peace, but as of this moment, Yuta was sat by himself on one of the tables near the edge of the hall. Yuta had arranged to meet Sicheng here for their first tutoring session at 10am, but as of late, Sicheng was no where to be seen. He’d wait a few more minutes for his ‘student’ to arrive, but if he took longer than 20 minutes, Yuta would just leave. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to do that, as (weirdly) he was kind of looking forward to seeing Sicheng again.  
  
All of a sudden, there was a loud crashing sound at the entrance, causing most of the students to look in that direction, including Yuta. What he saw was a flustered Sicheng, his light blonde hair looking in a state of messy-but-it-was-desperately-tried-to-be-tidied-up. He was wearing a block colour sweatshirt, with the bottom half bright blue and the top half black. Once he recovered from his stumble, he quickly looked to the floor and walked in, holding a black folder. Yuta raised his hand and waved it to the Chinese boy, who began to walk over.  
  
“S-Sorry I’m late,” Sicheng whispered, putting his folder down opposite Yuta and moving the chair out from it’s place under the table, sitting down. “I got lost, and then I asked for directions, but they didn’t understand me so I ended up at this bakery and-“  
  
“It’s okay,” Yuta quickly said, before the boy could continue on his tangent. Sicheng let out a quick breath and smiled.  
  
Yuta began to get his notes out, seeing he’d teach Sicheng some basic phrases to help him out, as he was definitely in need of them. However, when he’d brought his head back up from underneath the table where he was getting his notes from his bag, Sicheng had a piece of bread in his hands, catching Yuta’s eye when he’d just put the piece into his mouth.  
  
“Did you buy something from that bakery?” Yuta grins, putting the notes on the table.  
  
“Uh.. maybe,” he giggles in response, before putting the bread back in his bag.  
  
“You can still eat it if you want,” Yuta quickly responded upon seeing the polite gesture. “I don’t mind.”  
  
Sicheng smiled, and took the bread back out again. It was a baguette, and took up quite a lot of space on the table, but Yuta didn’t say anything. “Would you like some?” Sicheng whispered, breaking off a bit gently with his fingers, and holding it out for the Japanese man.  
  
“Sure, if you don’t mind,” Yuta smiled, taking the piece of bread and popping it into his mouth. Eventually, after the pair had finished the baguette between themselves (taking 20 minutes, with small talk ensuing afterwards), Yuta decided it was probably time to try and teach Sicheng Japanese. This task was easier said than done, however, with Sicheng struggling to understand much of the grammar, especially since it was such a different language to Chinese. However, after about an hour passed, Sicheng had mastered several easy phrases that would help make his life in Japan slightly easier. And even though his accent was off, Yuta couldn’t help but find it… cute.  
  
“Thank you,” Sicheng bowed in respect and smiled, getting up from the table at the end of the session, picking up his folder.  
  
“It’s my pleasure,” Yuta said. “Oh, wait,” he quickly said, catching up to Sicheng, who was turning to leave.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Uh, should we exchange phone numbers? Just so we know where to meet up and stuff..” Yuta’s voice, usually full of confidence, trailed off for some reason; a reason he couldn’t pin point.  
  
All of a sudden, Sicheng smiled slightly, and leaned on his feet backwards, holding his folder in front of him with both hands. After a slight pause, allowing the pair to make eye contact for a few sustained seconds, he let out a slight chuckle. “Okay~”  
  
Sicheng moved back to the table, and using a scrap piece of paper from his folder, he scribbled his phone number onto it. Once he finished, he folded it, and pressed it into Yuta’s hand. With one last warm smile, Sicheng said “See you later, Yuta,” and walked out of the library.  
  
Once Yuta watched him leave the building, he let out a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding. That boy had Yuta under his spell already…  
  
God dammit.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **02 / 01 / 2023  :  09:56am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta watched the kids run around the auditorium court in their coloured bibs, indicating which team they were on. Renjun was dressed in his sports kit and his bright yellow bib, waving to Yuta, who was sat in the stands, every now and then during the game. The Japanese man enjoyed watching his son playing soccer, and always insisted on attending every single game and practise. And although it was for Renjun and created an image that Yuta cared about him and his love for sport, it was also useful for Yuta in making sure that he became nothing like his own father, who never turned up for a single game of Yuta’s soccer career.  
  
The referee blew the whistle, and the various parents sat around the hall stood up and collected their things as their children all bowed in parting on the pitch.  
  
“Ah, Junnie!” Yuta smiled, taking him into a hug and lifting him up off the ground, spinning him around whilst laughing. “You were great out there! Good job, buddy,” Yuta smiled, groaning slightly when he set Renjun down. When did his back start to ache?  
  
“Thanks!” Renjun replied. When Yuta went to hold his hand, Renjun gently slapped it away.  
  
“Agh, you’re too cool to hold Yukkah’s hand?” Yuta teased, poking Renjun’s ribs as they walked out of the school.  
  
“N-Not in front of everyone else,” Renjun sighed, looking around at the various other boys. Yuta understood, but still, rejection never sat well with him. The cold air hit them immediately as they left the warmth of the school corridor and entered the parking lot. “Yukkah, I’m confused…” Renjun whispered.  
  
“What’s wrong buddy?” Yuta asked, clicking the car keys, the car beeping in response. The older man opened the door for his son, who jumped in, and then circled the car before getting in himself. Instead of starting the engine, Yuta turned to Renjun.  
  
“I just-“ Renjun sighed, looking out the window.  
  
Sensing Renjun’s odd behaviour, Yuta took the precaution steps outlined in his imaginary ‘parenting handbook’. “You can tell me anything, you know that right?”  
  
“Ah I’m just…” Renjun looked at Yuta. “Why a-are you and Baba… married, but you’re both… boys?”  
  
Yuta laughed slightly. “That’s what you’re confused about?”  
  
Renjun nodded instantly.  
  
“Honestly? I thought you’d ask sooner,” Yuta chuckled, alleviating the tension.  
  
“It’s just, all the other kids have… a mom, but I don’t?”  
  
“Do you want a mom?” Yuta asked cautiously.  
  
“No! No, I love you and Baba!” Renjun instantly replied, looking at Yuta fearfully. “I just don’t get it?”  
  
“Well, buddy,” Yuta shifted his full body in the car seat, so he was fully facing Renjun now. “In this world, most people are ‘straight’, which means that if they are a boy, they like girls, and if they are a girl, they like boys,” he said, very explanatory. Renjun was hooked on every word. “But, in some cases, someone can be ‘gay’.”  
  
“But… isn’t that a bad thing?” Renjun queried innocently.  
  
“Why would that be a bad thing?” his Father asked, very calmly. He wasn’t going to get mad at Renjun over that remark, as it was clear he had no idea what he was talking about, and he already stated that he has no problem with having Yuta and Sicheng being his Fathers.  
  
“Well… some people at soccer call people gay as an insult…” Renjun whispered. “I-I don’t know what it means…”  
  
Yuta took a deep breath. “If you’re gay, that means you like people that are the same gender as you. So boys that like boys, and girls that like girls.”  
  
“So you and Baba are… gay?” Renjun frowned, putting the pieces together.  
  
“Yep. We’re both boys and we both love each other. And there’s nothing wrong with that, you see. We’re just as normal as a family as all those boys with moms and dads!” Yuta smiled.  
  
“I don’t get it… how do you know if you’re gay?” Renjun asked, looking up at his Father with a worried expression.  
  
“You’ll know one day, when you start to grow up,” Yuta smiled, ruffling his hair up. “But no matter what you are, we’re still going to love you the same, so don’t be afraid of asking us anything, okay?” Yuta comforted his son, to which he nodded in response.  
  
“Okay!”  
  
“Now that that’s sorted, shall we go get something nice to eat?” Yuta grinned. “We can’t tell Baba though.”  
  
Renjun giggled and nodded, and with that, Yuta started the engine and drove out of the school parking lot with a much clearer state of mind than he had when he walked into the complex.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **20 / 05 / 2025  :  05:06pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“Yuta…” Sicheng sniffled from the passenger seat.  
  
The Japanese man ignored him, and focused on the road.  
  
_Please don’t say it. Don’t say it.  
  
_ “I-“ Sicheng let out a choked sob. “I think it’s time-”  
  
Shaking slightly, Yuta pulled the car over and gently applied the brakes, not taking his view off of the endless stretch of road in front of him. On either side of the road were stretching farm fields, with electrical pylons running through them all. The orange sun glistened off of the metal of the structures that popped up around the fields. As Yuta was forced to come to face the reality, he turned to Sicheng.  
  
In Sicheng’s lap lay a pale and unmoving Renjun, who was breathing very heavily. His light brown hair, just like Yuta’s, was sticking to his sweaty forehead, and the blood and pus that was oozing from his shoulder had stained both his and Sicheng’s clothing. The younger father was gently stroking Renjun’s head, whispering sweet words of comfort, before he looked at Yuta.  
  
“I think it’s ti-“  
  
“I heard you.” Yuta snapped, opening the car door and getting out in a huff. How could he of let this happen? His son. His _son_. He let his own son get bitten by one of those things. What if Yuta had just kept Renjun with him… none of this would of happened. It’s all Yuta’s fault, he thought, breathing in shaky breaths and looking around at the fields, trying to block out what was happening behind him.  
  
“Chenle, stay there darling, please,” Sicheng whispered unsteadily to the 5 year old who was currently sat in the back seat of the car, with his head folded into his knees. The sound of a car door gently shutting behind Yuta caught his attention, and he turned to Sicheng, who was carrying their dying son.  
  
The man with blonde hair with pink tips slowly walked around the car and over to Yuta, who was stood in the middle of the deserted road. Yuta approached the pair, moving his hands to Renjun’s face gently, wiping off the tear marks on his cheek. ‘ _How could I of let this happen?’_ Yuta thought, his mind running a mile a minute.  
  
Yuta leapt into action when Sicheng collapsed to his knees though, catching Renjun in his hands, and acting as a pillar for Sicheng to lean on. The parent’s were now both on the hard concrete of the road, looking down at Renjun. The poor boy let out a cough, which caused his body to shake violently, with a drop of blood emerging from his lip.  
  
“L-Lets move him somewhere nicer,” Yuta whispered. This wasn’t a nice enough area to die. Not that any area was nice enough to die, but Yuta wanted to allow Renjun his last minutes of life in somewhere with relative… comfort? Quite frankly, Yuta felt completely  powerless in the matter, and just looking down at Renjun filled Yuta’s heart with sadness, regret and anger, anger at the fact that his actions had lead to the undead claiming Renjun as their own.  
  
Sicheng silently nodded, and they moved to the side of the road, next to a bush of lavender. Ever so gently, Yuta set Renjun down (out of Sicheng’s shaking arms) onto the soft soil beside the street.  
  
“Junnie..” Yuta whispered. “Can you hear me, buddy?”  
  
“Y-Yukkah-“ Renjun coughed heavily, his whole body shaking. Blood splattered on the lavender bush from his mouth, a sight which caused Sicheng to bury his head in Yuta’s shoulder.  
  
“You’re going to be alright, baby. No matter where you’re going… it’ll be better than where you are now…” Yuta was tearing up now, especially as Renjun let out a heavy sigh, with Sicheng uncontrollably crying into the former’s jacket. “We love you, Junnie. I love you, Baba loves you, Lele loves you, and…”  
  
Yuta sighed. What could he say? Why could he make a conversation with anyone, and talk for hours with even the most anti-social of strangers, yet when he had to have his final talk with his son, he was fucking speechless?  
  
Struggling, Yuta finally spoke. “We’re sorry that… we’re sorry that we brought you into such a disgusting world. You deserve so much better, baby. You deserved to grow up and find true happiness, and I will forever be haunted with the fact that I failed as a Dad because I failed to get you there. I love you Renjun-“ Yuta began to cry, covering his face with his hand. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry, Junnie… I’m so sorry…”  
  
“Yukkah..” Renjun struggled. “Baba..” he said as he was gently sitting up, before hitting the ground again with a thud.  
  
“Yes baby?” Sicheng instantly answered, removing himself from Yuta and taking Renjun’s cold hand into his. Gently, Sicheng was rubbing his son’s knuckles and leaning in, hoping to hang onto any word that Renjun uttered.  
  
Slowly, the young boy inhaled.  
  
“I’m scared-“ he whimpered, letting out a single sob. He had done enough crying today, and his body was completely out of energy by now.  
  
“It’s okay sweetie, it’s okay… we’re going to stay here with you, aren’t we?”  
  
Yuta nodded, wiping his face dry. “Yeah, buddy, we’re not going anywhere,”  
  
Moments of silence followed, with Sicheng and Yuta looking sorrowfully down at their son. The one thing that parent’s should never have to do, watching their child die, was happening right before them, and their senses were completely overloaded with pure, cold sadness.  
  
“AGH!” Renjun yelled, frightening both of the parents, who flinched slightly. Instantly, they moved forward, holding onto Renjun’s hands as he began to seizure, his limbs moving erratically. His eyes rolled back, and his breathing was rapid, as judged by the alarming rate as to which his chest was rising. Renjun’s parched lips were coated in dry blood and saliva as he uncontrollably shook, Sicheng and Yuta watching in horror. In a single moment, the boy sat upright off of the soil, froze there for a second, and then slumped back, causing a cloud of dust to erupt beneath him.  
  
“O-Oh my god-“ Sicheng gasped. “R-Renjun?”  
  
Yuta took his frail arm, and put his finger on Renjun’s wrist.  
  
Mortified, Yuta gently placed Renjun’s arm back on his chest.  
  
“H-He’s…”  
  
“Don’t say it.” This time, Sicheng snapped, looking down at Renjun with sorrow.  
  
The parent’s looked down at their dead son, both of them feeling like absolute failures. It was a cold hard fact that right now, in the universe, no one could possibly be more upset than these two men as they had just watched their eldest boy draw his final breath. In the setting sun, Renjun looked at peace, the lavender disguising the smell of blood and turning it into a sickeningly sweet concoction. In another world, in another universe, Renjun was simply having a nap, surrounded by his parents and the bright purple flowers. If Yuta was to look at him in a different light, he really could be asleep, but no matter which universe Renjun was in, he was at peace now. The sunlight was glinting off of his long eyelashes, a trait directly gained from Sicheng, and if you ignored the rips in his shirt, the blood stains on his lips and the tear marks on his cheeks, he could truly be described as beautiful. Of course, to Yuta and Sicheng, he would be beautiful no matter what state he was in, and this was no exception.  
  
Having regained himself, Yuta carefully rubbed Sicheng’s back. “He’s in a better place now, Sicheng. He’s at peace.”  
  
“I miss him.” Sicheng abruptly said. “I loved him so much, Yuta, and he’s gone forever,” he whispered, letting out a choked sob. “What now? What do we do?”  
  
Yuta pursed his lips. He was hoping he wasn’t going to have to be the one to bring it up.  
  
“He’s going to come back, Sicheng.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
They ripped their eyes off of Renjun, and looked at each other.  
  
“So… W-What do we do?” Sicheng whispered, wiping his tears away and sniffling. “Do we sho-“  
  
“We’re not shooting him.”  
  
“But… we can’t just leave him to become one of them, Yuta. We’re not monsters… are we?”  
  
“Then what can we do, Sicheng? Give me an answer, and we’ll do it. We’ll do it right now. Come on, tell me Sicheng, what should we do? Huh?”  
  
Sicheng was the one to purse his lips, this time. Yuta’s emotions were running high, but so were his, and they were not going to argue in front of their dead son. Clearing his throat, Sicheng wiped his eyes dry.  
  
“What we’re going to do,” Yuta had calmed down slightly, his tone of voice being a lot more hospitable. “Is… we’re going to pay our respects to Renjun. We’re never going to forget him. And we’re never going to make the same mistakes ever again. Okay?”  
  
Sicheng nodded. Trust Yuta to have the voice of reason in even the most terrible times.  
  
_Twenty Six._  
  
“S-“  
  
A growl was emitted from Renjun’s throat, and his fingers sprung to life, one by one. Watching in horror, the parents slowly got to their feet, and backed away from their Renjun.  
  
“I can’t do this, Yuta. I can’t do this-“ Sicheng began to sob uncontrollably, and ran back to the car behind them. However, Yuta was glued to his spot, watching as Renjun’s eyelids flew open, and he shakily got to his feet. Renjun’s hazel coloured eyes were replaced with completely white eyes, and his skin was sheet white, his small feet gently shuffling towards Yuta with his arms outstretched. The same arms that used to hug him after soccer practise.  
  
“Junnie…” Yuta tried to reason, backing away. But Renjun was gone. He was dead… he was one of them, now. Yuta couldn’t quite grasp the fact that this boy he’d raised for 7 years, that he’d seen since birth, that he’d loved and nurtured and cared for, had been taken away so carelessly. Just like that.  
  
Wordlessly, Yuta moved away from the scene, and calmly opened the car door, sitting down in the driving seat. Sicheng was now in the backseat, sobbing into his hands, with a worried Chenle also crying into his side. But Yuta couldn’t cry… he couldn’t. He had to protect those who he hadn’t already lost. So, very slowly, Yuta turned the engine on, and pressed down on the gas, driving away from Renjun’s death.  
  
Yuta wasn’t a broken man. But as he looked in the car mirror, and saw the setting sun’s rays illuminating the small shuffling figure that was stumbling after the car, every single fibre in Yuta’s body shattered like glass. Why did Yuta deserve to drive away, with Sicheng and Chenle in the back, whilst Renjun was left behind, _dead_ , shuffling after the car. Once Yuta was further down the straight road, he saw the small figure lose interest in the car and wander into the field, which brought tears to his eyes. Tears that were discarded and wiped before Sicheng and Chenle could notice… not that they would, seeing as they were wrapped together in the back, crying their hearts out. He was truly gone now.  
  
Renjun was dead, and never to be seen again.  
  
To himself, Yuta gently whispered…  
  
“Goodbye, Junnie. I love you.”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **23 / 04 / 2025  :  07:03am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta sighed as he set his phone down on the desk. All news sources were announcing the cancellation of all flights leaving and entering Korean airspace, with embassies nation wide failing to provide solutions to tourists trapped abroad, such as the Nakamoto family.  
  
“Any news, Yukkie?” Sicheng asked from the other side of the hotel room, as he zipped up Chenle’s coat. Once he let a sleepy Chenle jump down from the bed, Sicheng rose from his knees and approached his husband.  
  
“Still no flights,” he sighed. “We just need to get out the city,”  
  
“Alright,” Sicheng nodded, moving over to Renjun, helping him with the zipper on his coat as well. Yuta moved over to the suit cases, and checked the tags once more, as well as making sure they hadn’t left their passports and documents, all of which were safely contained in a handy plastic wallet Sicheng had organized prior to leaving China.  
  
After several more minutes of getting ready to leave and checking they hadn’t left anything, the family assembled at the door.  
  
“Okay boys,” Yuta looked down to Renjun and Chenle. “Under no circumstance, absolutely none, can you leave me or Baba, okay? Please, please, PLEASE, stay with us all the time, okay?”  
  
The boys nodded.  
  
“It’s dangerous out there but, we’re going to try get home!” Sicheng chimed in, smiling and intertwining his fingers with Yuta’s. On both of their expressions were brave faces and smiles for the kids, but both of them could feel the shaking from the other’s body as they had linked hands. But, with no time like the present, Yuta separated their hands and opened the door, letting the family scamper out into the hallway.  
  
“Alright… let’s go..” Yuta whispered, trundling the largest suitcase down the corridor. The family encountered no problems, none of… ‘them’, at least, but the entire hotel seemed to have an eerie atmosphere cloaking it. And with no issues as of yet, the family managed to reach the end of the corridor and the entrance to the elevator safe and sound.  
  
Granted, it was 2 minutes of walking, but it wasn’t quite the hellhole Yuta or Sicheng were anticipating to meet.  
  
“Where did we park the rental, sweetie?” Yuta asked Sicheng, turning around to look at him after he’d clicked the button for the elevator. However, even though Sicheng clearly stated the answer, Yuta didn’t hear any of it.  
  
All he was focusing on was the stumbling figure at the end of the long hallway, slowly but surely coming for the Nakamoto. Luckily, Renjun and Chenle were tiredly looking at their shoes, whispering between themselves, as if they were more alert they would have definitely seen the look of fear covering Yuta’s face. Sicheng, on the other hand, immediately turned around, and let out a small gasp.  
  
“Y-You don’t think-“ Sicheng whispered, to which Yuta immediately nodded. It was one of them. It must be. The dim lighting of the corridor was showing the tell-tale signs; the extremely pale skin, the lifeless look behind their eyes, the slow shambling with it’s arms out stretched.  
  
Before the parent’s had to take any action, puffing their chests out as a natural ‘protective’ instinct over seeing such a threat steadily approaching their kids, the elevator announced it’s arrival in a rhythmic chime.  
  
“Okay guys, let’s get on!” Sicheng anxiously chimed, pressing Renjun and Chenle on to the elevator with excessive force, both of them having to catch the railings before they fell over. Yuta took their cases that they left on the floor and unceremoniously threw them into the elevator, both Renjun and Chenle instantly recognizing something was wrong.  
  
“Baba?” Chenle cooed, looking up to Sicheng. Once Yuta had scrambled into the elevator he used his arms to keep Renjun and Chenle back, whilst Sicheng hit the button for the ground floor.  
  
Once the kids saw the figure slowly approaching the elevator doors though, they let out sharp gasps. “They’re real!” Chenle gasped, grabbing onto Renjun’s wrist. “I told you!”  
  
“Close the doors!” Renjun shrieked, grabbing onto Yuta’s coat sleeve and pulling. “It’s coming!”  
  
The doors began to slowly close, and on drawn breath, the metal doors slammed together tightly, with the member of the undead but a few feet away.  
  
“That was… too close,” Sicheng gasped, letting out a breath of relief. “What would we have done if it reached us?”  
  
Yuta pursed his lips. “I’d of killed him.”  
  
The family, shocked, all looked at Yuta as though he had just murdered someone. The oldest, however, remained with a straight face.  
  
“As the oldest here, I’m responsible for protecting all of you, yes? If he was to have tried anything on any of you, I would’ve taken the appropriate action… but for all we know, that was just some old janitor,” Yuta alleviated the mood with a chuckle, as the elevator steadily made it’s way to the ground floor.  
  
All conversation abruptly stopped as the doors to the ground floor opened.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2026  :  12:2?pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“It’s so warm today, so much different to the past weeks,” Sicheng said, as the family of 3 walked through a wooded area. All around them, previously dead trees were beginning to show signs of green erupting from their branches, a sight which told the family that the cold winter was coming to an end. It gave them all hope, something they had all been somewhat missing ever since Renjun’s death.  
  
“Yeah it’s really nice,” Yuta smiled. Despite the somewhat ‘jovial’ atmosphere of the family, they were all creeping through the woods tentatively, with both Yuta and Sicheng’s fingers gripped on their pistols. Chenle was holding a hammer, but it had never really been used, so it still looked like it was only just recently taken out of its packaging. He insisted, though, as his parent’s had instilled the values in him to always be prepared for anything.  
  
“I’m really hungry though,” Sicheng said, stepping over a log as they continued to walk through the forest. “Do we have much food left, Yukkie?”  
  
“Ahh, not much… we should really try find a store again. There must be something left over,” Yuta sighed. As the days were fast approaching, the family’s stock of food had been depleting far more rapidly than it had been increasing, and with 1 growing boy and 2 grown men, food was becoming more and more scarce. In fact, if Yuta’s estimation was correct, they probably would have ran out of food in a few days time; a thought that was incredibly worrying to Yuta. What kind of Father can’t even feed his own family?  
  
“Well, lets just have a break when we get back to the car, and have our…” Sicheng looked up to the sky, and saw the sun was basically directly above them, “Lunch! And then we can set off again and we’ll all be full of energy for the day~”  
  
Yuta appreciated Sicheng’s enthusiasm, he was definitely trying his hardest to make life worth living for the rest of the family. Chenle appreciated the energy too, and it was evident. For the few months after Renjun’s death, Chenle was completely irresponsive, but now he smiles and even laughs on occasion. It was such a sight to see for the parents, especially as they were working through their own inner demons as well over the guilt and hardships that followed.  
  
“I see the car!” Chenle squeaked, pointing ahead to the battered, salmon coloured car they had only recently picked up. It was full of gas (somehow) when Yuta found it, which both of the parents believed was a miracle sent from above. In the boot of the car was all of the supplies that the family currently had, which wasn’t much; just some clothes from their suitcases when it all began, some food and a few pieces of ammunition.  
  
Once the family arrived, they decided they’d have lunch in the sunshine, to take advantage of the weather. And why shouldn’t they? The area they were in was completely deserted, and if they were out in the open, they could easily identify any threats coming their way. So once that was settled, they took out some cans from the boot and they used their coats as blankets to sit on, protecting themselves from the asphalt of the road.  
  
“Yukkah-“ Chenle whispered when they were finally sat down. In front of them were a few cans of baked beans, a loaf of stale bread and a carton of ready noodles. Since the bread had passed it’s eat-by date by a few months, and the lack of boiling water for the ready noodles, all the family could really eat were the canned beans.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“I um… I don’t like beans,” he whispered, looking down shamefully. His fussy eating was something Yuta could help him with before the apocalypse, but now when there was virtually no other choice, Chenle’s dad felt like a fucking failure.  
  
“Baby it’s all we have,” Yuta whispered, moving the small boy onto his lap and back hugging him, resting his head on the smaller one’s. “What don’t you like about the beans? Is it the sauce?”  
  
Chenle nodded.  
  
With that in mind, Yuta took one of the two spoons that were in the pile (or lack thereof) of resources, and opened the tin with his knife. Then, he took a spoonful of the beans, and carefully filtered out the juice that came with them back into the can. On the spoon were the baked beans, with only residue of the tomato sauce on them.  
  
“Is this better?” Yuta tentatively asked. He turned his head to look at Sicheng, but he was completely focused on scoffing down his baked beans.  
  
“Uh… there’s still… stuff on it,” Chenle whispered.  
  
Pursing his lips, Yuta proceeded to let more juice drip from the spoon into the can, until Chenle finally gave his nod of approval. Opening wide, Chenle took the spoon into his mouth and ate the beans, and even murmured a sound of satisfaction.  
  
“It’s good to see you eating, Lele,” Sicheng noted, putting his empty can onto the ground. “We know it’s hard for you but, we’ll be okay, the summer will be easier then the winter,” he softly added.  
  
Yeah… maybe they’ll be okay after all. Things were finally looking up for the Nakamoto family.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **28 / 08 / 2018  :  02:09pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“Ahh! Junnie is so cute!~” Yuta sang, lifting up baby Renjun from underneath the armpits, up into the air. “He’s flying! He’s flying!” he chimed, with Renjun’s body shaking from laughter in his arms. The 6 month old was wearing a light blue onesie, whilst Yuta was wearing a white sweatshirt with black track pants.  
  
All of a sudden, Sicheng walked into the room with a half-full laundry basket, and he began to pick up pieces of clothing that had (somehow) made its way into the living room. The blonde haired man was wearing light blue jeans, a black sweatshirt, with woolly white socks.  
  
“Junnie! Junnie look it’s your Baba, lets go see Baba, oo~” Yuta continued to sing, rising to his feet from his cross legged position on the carpet, still with Renjun in his hands. Then, Yuta brought Renjun to Sicheng, lifting him up and down, met with an amazing response from the small boy.  
  
“Hi baby!” Sicheng cooed, placing the basket on the couch and taking Renjun into his arms, resting him on his shoulder. He gently rubbed the back of his onesie, and kissed his forehead. “Hi, other baby,” Sicheng grinned, kissing Yuta’s forehead too.  
  
“Do you want me to help with anything?” the oldest politely asked; whilst Yuta had been playing around with Renjun, Sicheng was tiringly cleaning up the apartment. Who could’ve guessed having a kid would make for so much more work?  
  
“It’s okay, I’m just tidying up then I’m done. I’m just kinda sleepy though,” he smiled, patting Renjun’s back before setting him back on Yuta’s shoulder. “Once I’m finished tidying up I think I’ll have a nap. I have work tonight, after all…” Sicheng pursed his lips, before shaking his head slightly, as if he was ridding himself of that though. “Do you think Renjun is getting tired?”  
  
Yuta looked on his shoulder at the tiny child, who let out a yawn with timing so perfect it looked like it was on command.  
  
“Yeah, he’s probably gonna have his afternoon nap soon,”  
  
“Aww, it’s like we’re synced~” Sicheng joked, eliciting a chuckle from Yuta. “I’ll just finish this up then,” he kissed Yuta’s cheek, and walked out the room with the laundry basket.  
  
Yuta carefully sat down on the couch of their apartment, and set Renjun on his lap, so he was looking at him.  
  
“How’d I get so lucky, huh?” Yuta asked Renjun, who just blinked at him. “Such a pretty kid,” he whispered, moving back some wisps of hair that were getting in his way. Yuta’s eyes widened when he realised he accidentally pulled a few of them out, and hurriedly wiped his hand on the sofa to rid of the evidence. Whoops.  
  
Renjun babbled something incoherently, and grabbed onto Yuta’s sweatshirt, pulling with it and playing with the fabric. In response, Yuta responded with the same babble, pretending as though they were having a conversation. Renjun returned the sounds as he continued to play with the sweatshirt, before leaning forward and chewing on it. Disgruntled, Yuta let out a sigh, as he didn’t have the heart to pull Renjun off. Luckily, the teething didn’t continue for long, and Renjun fell asleep on Yuta’s stomach.  
  
“I finished~” Sicheng smiled, walking into the living room, before awwing at the sight of Renjun drooling on Yuta’s sweatshirt. Looking helpless, Yuta ushered Sicheng over in the empty space where his left arm was, and with the younger happy to oblige, the pair cuddled on the couch with their son lying on the older.  
  
“He’s so cute,” Sicheng whispered, gently moving his finger over Renjun’s head, and cursing to himself when he took out a wisp of his hairs.  
  
“I did the same thing, don’t worry,” Yuta quickly said, grinning.  
  
“We’re such crap parents,” Sicheng said jokingly. “We’re balding our own kid!”  
  
“He’ll be fine, he’s a champ,” the other responded.  
  
If the pair could of afforded a television, they would have been watching it right now, but looking out at the skyline from their apartment was incredibly calming. Sicheng rested his head in a more comfortable style on Yuta’s shoulder and stretched his legs out onto the coffee table, before gently whispering in the other’s ear ‘I love you’.  
  
But Yuta whispered something different back.  
  
“I think I want another baby.”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2028  :  ??:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta fired the pistol from behind the crate he was sheltering behind, adrenaline coursing through his veins like hot lava. The sound of screams surrounded him, as well as the familiar smoky smell of fire. From behind his crate, Yuta looked down at the gash in his leg; it wasn’t an undead bite, thank god, but nonetheless it was oozing blood at an alarming rate. Jaehyun’s knife had ripped right down into his leg, but thanks to the adrenaline, Yuta was yet to feel the impacts of it. Right now, Jaehyun’s men were fighting Yuta, Vivi and some other survivors who were sick of his unfair treatment and his attempted assassination of Johnny.  
  
Unfortunately, during the battle, the unmanned gates meant several members of the undead had _also_ joined the fight, making matters 100x more complicated. When Yuta pulled back from the top of his crate, he was met with the pearly eyes of some turned woman, who he quickly shot in the head as she crawled towards him. When he looked out onto the ‘battleground’ that was once just the patch of snow where people walked to and fro the warehouse, he had no idea whether the figures in the minimal light were the undead, fleeing survivors or Jaehyun’s men.  
  
All of a sudden, Yuta saw an opening in the fight, and leaped from his position behind the crate, to which he began running to behind the warehouse. Several bullets pierced the snow behind him as he ran, but thankfully, he was remained unscathed. As he caught his breath behind the warehouse, his thoughts turned to Ten; during the pursuit from the town south of here, Yuta had told him to run toward the port, where Jaemin and Jeno had decided to stay. And whilst Yuta was definitive in providing a distraction for the men to come chase him instead, he could never be sure. Was Ten still okay? He hoped so. And Johnny… he was somewhere in the forest as well.  
  
A clang of a bullet on a pipe near Yuta shook him out of his thoughts, returning his attention to the battle. He threw his hand out from the cover, and shot randomly at the hostile man. Once he heard a loud yell, he retracted his hand, and ran forward, to one of the cabins that families used instead of the long huts which single men and women were assigned. He pushed the door open, and quickly shut it, before diving to the floor before they could see him through the windows.  
  
As Yuta crept towards the window slowly, he positioned himself beneath it, so he remained unseen unless someone were to walk into the cabin and turn the corner. By Yuta’s side were 2 beds; 1 single and 1 double. The smell of the room was somewhat familiar to Yuta, but he couldn’t trace it to it’s origin just yet.  
  
“Did you see where the fucker went?” One man yelled from outside the cabin.  
  
“No. But we got the girl, so it’s just him and some others left,” the other man yelled, before running past the small building which Yuta was hidden in. _Fuck,_ Yuta thought. The only girl they could be referring to was Vivi, but right now, Yuta had more important issues to attend to. Such as his rapidly bleeding leg, and the desperate need to escape. The Seo family and Jaemin wouldn’t leave him if he didn’t turn up to the port on time, right? Would they’d wait for him…? Yuta and Ten knew that Yuta’s distraction was basically suicide, so perhaps they would just leave anyway.  
  
At least Yuta would be remembered as a hero.  
  
The Japanese man dragged off the bed sheets from the nearest bed, and used them to dab the blood from his leg, whispering Japanese cuss words as he applied pressure. Yuta’s attention, however, was taken away from his wound for a slight second, when he caught sight of something… unusual beneath the bed. It was a black box.  
  
Confused, Yuta reached forward for it, and lifted off of the lid. Inside of it were various polaroids and pieces of memorophillia. Picking up one, Yuta had to wince to be able to see it in the dim light of the fire burning outside on one of Jaehyun’s vehicles.  
  
Yuta was surprised to see a shirtless Johnny on the polaroid.  
  
It was a younger Johnny, with a small kid in his arms- which must be Jeno, and they were both in a swimming pool. The pair were both smiling, but Yuta was not. He felt incredibly guilty for intruding on the Seo’s past life as foolishly like this. Yuta certainly knows that he wouldn’t appreciate someone looking into _his_ shoebox of memories and looking at stuff not meant for them. So, he stuffed the polaroid back in the box, before he put the box in his rucksack.  
  
That also explained the smell of this room; it must have been Ten and Johnny’s. That’s why it smelt so familiar…  
  
The sounds from outside had died down now, so Yuta took this as a safe time to exit. However, once he had creeped out of the front door and began sneaking towards the large opening in the wall, an unknown figure grabbed him from behind and pulled him to the floor. With a groan of pain, Yuta looked up at the cold eyes of Jaehyun.  
  
“You’re coming with me.”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **29 / 11 / 2012  :  04:56am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta was wearing a blue puffer coat with a white medical mask and black track pants as he stood up on the deserted train from Shanghai International Airport to a smaller town just on the outskirts. In front of him was his small black suitcase, and he was listening to some Korean rock band as he held onto the neon green pole. It’d been around 5 months since Sicheng had moved back to China after his year of education in Japan, and this was the first time when Yuta had saved enough money to be able to visit his boyfriend.  
  
His nerves were getting the better of him as the train shook slightly. What will he say? Will Sicheng still even like him? Hopefully Sicheng was at the station waiting for him, because he didn’t know where his boyfriend even lived besides the name of the town that was on the edge of Shanghai. Checking the time, Yuta let out a yawn behind his mask; this was the cheapest flight and the cheapest train he could get, so naturally, they would be at ungodly hours.  
  
The robotic voice on the tannoy announced that Yuta’s stop was the next one, an announcement which made Yuta’s palms that much more sweaty. What ever happened to the confident Yuta who was able to whisk Sicheng up beneath his feet? Right now, he was a mess of nervousness and anticipation, as he finally got to see the love of life again. And he knew he had to savour this; how long would it be until they’d be able to see each other again after this trip?  
  
The train began to slow, and Yuta moved to the train doors in advance. In the reflection of the glass, Yuta quickly messed with his his light brown hair as best as he could in the limited fluorescent light of the train carriage. He had to look good for Sicheng… it wasn’t even a question.  
  
A loud chime echoed throughout the empty carriage, and the train was brought to a halt. After a series of shrill beeping sounds and an automated voice telling passengers to mind the gap, the doors slid open. And with unusual confidence, Yuta stepped off the train with his suitcase in one hand, and his phone in the other. Taking his earphones out, the cold wind of the practically empty train station embraced his ears as he rolled the wires up and stuffed them in his pocket. Only 3 passengers had gotten off the train at this stop, and there was only a handful of people waiting for trains.  
  
“Yuta?”  
  
Upon hearing his name being shouted, Yuta turned to the all too familiar voice, who was standing at the other end of the station to the Japanese man. Sicheng stood out from the crowd immediately; his blonde hair was an instant giveaway, to be honest. The young man was stood in a burgundy and white wind breaker and black jeans, with white converse (the ones Yuta always thought he looked cute in). He seemed to be glowing angelically beneath the dim lighting of the station, and was tentatively walking towards the figure who had just got off the train. Even from such a distance, Yuta could tell his boyfriend was beautiful, as he seemed to glide towards him with uncertainty.  
  
With shaking hands, Yuta ripped off his medical mask. “Sicheng?”  
  
What was a tentative walk shortly turned into a run, with Sicheng not caring who he was pushing as he sprinted down the platform towards Yuta. As he quickly approached Yuta, the latter noticed that his eyes were glossy with tears, yet his mouth was upturned in the biggest smile. Yuta set his suitcase down and outstretched his arms, his heart beating a mile a minute as his soulmate steadily ran towards him.  
  
As their bodies finally collided, it felt like the universe paused just a second, just for them. Their heavy breathing was reflecting off of each other, as Sicheng desperately clawed to the back of Yuta’s coat, as if making sure he was real. Yuta was gently rubbing Sicheng’s back comfortingly, despite all of his inhibitions telling him to latch on and never let him go. The entire station seemed to still around the pair of lovers as they hugged for what seemed like an eternity, yet it would never be enough. Basking in each other’s presence, Yuta leant back and took Sicheng’s lips against his own, the younger’s soft lips bringing Yuta back down to Earth from Cloud 9.  
  
This was real. They were _finally_ together again, something Yuta, and most likely Sicheng, thought would never happen.  
  
“I love you,” Sicheng breathed, wiping his tears as Yuta kept him in his embrace.  
  
“I love you too, baby,” Yuta whispered back, desperately taking him back into the hug, protecting him from the outside world with his arms. Sicheng nuzzled his head into Yuta’s chest, and let out a choked sob, wrapping his arms tighter around the older.  
  
“Never leave me,” Sicheng said, the words being muffled against Yuta’s coat.  
  
“I won’t.”  
  
“Promise?”  
  
“Promise.”  
  
Once several more minutes pass of the pair being wrapped in each others arms, they both calmed down immensely, and detached themselves (although this took quite a while too). With one hand, Yuta picked up his suitcase, whilst Sicheng wrapped his cold fingers between the older’s free hand. Slowly, they began to walk down the platform towards the exit in a comfortable silence, both of them hoping that they can savour this moment with each other forever.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **10 / 05 / 2025  :  03:30pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
A cool breeze was blowing through the campsite as Yuta sat across from Doyoung and Jungwoo, all 3 of which were sitting on lawn chairs. Doyoung was directly opposite Yuta, and was wearing a purple shirt with thin blue stripes. Along the chest were dried blood stains, and the top few buttons were undone, showing off his pearlescent 20 year old skin. His black hair was scruffy, and flopped over his bunny-shaped face with ease. Next to him was Jungwoo, Doyoung’s boyfriend. He had shiny, light blonde hair, with short sides and a long top. Jungwoo was younger than Doyoung, but not that much younger; Yuta estimated around a few months or so. The younger of the 2 was wearing a light blue sweatshirt with a rip down the side, and a silver bracelet. His legs were crossed, and he had one arm linked with Doyoung’s, whilst resting his head on the older’s shoulder.  
  
“So, how do you two know each other?” Yuta asked, leaning back in his chair.  
  
“Ah, we go- well, went, to University together, and then started dating from there,” Jungwoo smiled to Yuta.  
  
“Oh were you studying the same thing?” Yuta asked.  
  
“I was studying economics,” Doyoung says, “whilst Jungwoo was studying nursing. We only met in the canteen when he ran into me by accident because of a fucking bee,” the older laughs, Jungwoo blushing in embarrassment.  
  
“What about you and Sicheng?” Jungwoo asks, smiling.  
  
“We met in university too but it was slightly different,” Yuta said.  
  
“How so?” Jungwoo inquired.  
  
“I went to university abroad in Busan for 4 years studying Korean,”  
  
“Wait, you’re not Korean?” Doyoung suddenly asked, to which Yuta shook his head. “What the fuck, you’re not even from here?”  
  
“I was born in Japan, and then went to Uni in Korea, and then moved back to Japan where I met Sicheng, and then I eventually moved to China for him,” Yuta said.  
  
“And you’re stuck in Korea during all this?” Jungwoo asked, bewildered.  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“That sucks man,” Doyoung said, patting Yuta’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he murmurs.  
  
“I’m just lucky I know the language,” Yuta says. “Sicheng can’t really speak Korean. And I’m worried for the kids because they’re going to grow up around Korean speakers when they’ve been learning Chinese, so I’m probably going to have to teach them.”  
  
“God…” Doyoung murmurs.  
  
“Wait, so if you finished school already in Korea, how did you meet Sicheng?” Jungwoo said, furrowing his brows in confusion.  
  
“He was only in Japan for a year as an exchange student in Osaka. But he couldn’t speak Japanese either, and I needed to find some work, so I volunteered at the University as a translator. And that’s where we met,” he smiled.  
  
“That’s a cute love story,” Jungwoo smiled. “And how old are Renjun and Chenle?”  
  
“Well, Chenle is five and Renjun is seven.”  
  
“They’re really cute,” Jungwoo assured. “I really wanted kids when I’m older but… I guess it’s not so much of a possibility any more,” he sighed.  
  
Doyoung wrapped one of his arms Jungwoo and squeezed him, before kissing his forehead.  
  
“I didn’t want kids until I was married to Sicheng,” Yuta states. “When you’re young you think that they’re just a giant burden who cry all the time but, I really love my kids,”  
  
“I don’t know if I would ever want to bring a kid into this world,” Doyoung whispered. “I don’t think they deserve to grow up in this.”  
  
“They don’t.” Yuta said. “I didn’t want my kids to see me kill someone, even if they were one of the undead. You know they’ve only just stopped being scared of me?” he sighed.  
  
“That’s awful,” Jungwoo said. “One day they’ll realise how much you’ve done to protect them~”  
  
“Hopefully.”  
  
Suddenly, a presence behind Yuta causes Jungwoo and Doyoung to bow their heads in greeting, as Sicheng gently rubs Yuta’s back and stands next to him. The younger bows, but only says hello, as he doesn’t exactly know how to say anything else. Yuta gets up and allows Sicheng to sit down, before going and adding another lawn chair to the groups small circle.  
  
“Taeil’s creeping me out,” Sicheng whispers in Chinese. He quickly holds Yuta’s hand and grips onto it tighter than usual, both of them hoping Doyoung and Jungwoo don’t notice anything particularly different in the pair.  
  
“Why?” Yuta whispers back, leaning forward so Sicheng can get closer to his ear.  
  
“He keeps following me and… using unnecessary skinship,” he purses his lips. “You know I don’t like to be touched,” he whispers back.  
  
“Next time he does it, tell me, and I’ll go beat him up,” Yuta grins, pulling away before turning back to the young pair before them.  
  
And as a new conversation topic was brought up by the younger couple, Yuta’s mind began to settle down with the idea that it wasn’t just the undead they had to worry about in this world, but it was also other survivors; they could perhaps be as damaging as the undead in some cases. Nonetheless, Yuta was going to make sure his family was protected from all of these, and Taeil would be no exception.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **18 / 04 / 2025  :  06:36pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
“What a nice day in Seoul we had!” Sicheng smiled, looking at the rest of the family from his position at the restaurant table. The youngest parent was sat on the aisle seat of the left row, whilst Yuta was sat on the aisle seat of the right row, with Chenle sat next to Yuta whilst Renjun sitting next to Sicheng. The family had spent a day sightseeing in Seoul, before taking a long drive down to Busan tommorow morning.  
  
“Yeah, it was much nicer than I remembered it,” Yuta nodded, browsing the menu. Whilst Sicheng and Renjun browsed their menus together, commenting on what nice foods there were, Chenle sat uneasily in his seat, looking at the menu awkwardly. It couldn’t of been the language barrier: the parents specifically chose a Chinese themed restaurant, so the menus were all translated anyway.  
  
“What’s up baby?” Yuta whispered to his youngest, who looked up at his Dad. Chenle let out a sigh, and put his small hands on his lap.  
  
“I don’t know if I like any of this,” he whispered back in his high pitch tone. Chenle’s eating habits seemed to be something that he was deeply embarrassed of, even with the rest of the family, whilst he would always confide in Yuta.  
  
“Ah, don’t worry Lele, let’s have a look,” Yuta smiled, turning the menu over to the kids side. “You like wheat noodles, don’t you,” the older grinned, rubbing his back protectively on Chenle’s back, as he nodded slightly.  
  
“What about the sauce stuff?” he frowned in anxiety, pointing at the photo of the noodles covered in a creamy sauce, which to Yuta, looked incredibly appetizing. “I don’t like sauce…”  
  
“That’s okay, buddy, we’ll just ask them to not put the sauce on, okay?” Yuta looked up at Sicheng and Renjun, with the latter still buzzing over the menu, whilst Sicheng was quizzically looking at them. After a knowing gaze from Yuta, Sicheng nodded and turned back to the menu. Yuta and Sicheng told each other everything about their kids, even their secrets, but they pretended not to know in front of them… for Chenle’s sake, Sicheng pretends not to know about his picky eating habits.  
  
Eventually, once the family had finished choosing their meals, small talk filled the gap between the setting down of the menus and the waitress coming over to the table. She had long black flowing hair, and shining white skin. Her smile was warm as she looked at Yuta and Sicheng, and then smiled even more when she made eye contact with the kids. On her chest was a name tag, displaying her name as ‘Heejin’.  
  
“Hello! Are you ready to order?” She chimed. Sicheng went first, ordering both for himself and Renjun, before gesturing to Yuta that it was his turn.  
  
“Right, please can this one-“ Yuta patted Chenle’s head playfully “The Peking Duck meal, and I would like the wheat noodles by themselves,” the family looked quizzically at Yuta, they all knew his giant appetite for meat and the fact he’d been going on all day with how hungry he was, so his order was confusing to the rest of the family. “Oh, and with the noodles, please can there be like… no sauce, or toppings on it? Like, literally just the noodles in the bowl, and that’s it.”  
  
The waitress looked weirdly at Yuta. “Just… noodles?” she stuttered.  
  
“Just noodles. I’ve not got much of an appetite,” he chuckled.  
  
“Ah… okay then! There may be a bit of a wait, we’re a bit busy at the moment!” she said, taking the menus from the tables. Sicheng seemed to be biting his lip with how much he was laughing, whilst Renjun had lost interest and was investigating the images on the promotional paper slip the restaurant had slipped into the centre piece. Meanwhile, Chenle was smiling to himself, whilst hugging Yuta’s arm.  
  
“Thank you Yukkah~” Chenle sweetly whispered, looking down at the table. “But… the waitress will give you the noodles...?”  
  
“I’ll sort it out, Lele, I’m good at that after all,” he chuckled, turning back to the family.  
  
Once Sicheng had regained himself, he turned back to the family. “Korea is so nice already… it must have been so nice to live here,”  
  
“Ah it was alright,” Yuta mused to himself. “It was hard to learn the language, but cause I was taught Chinese as a kid, it was easier.”  
  
“Yukkah you know so many languages!” Renjun smiled. “You know Chinese and Korean and Japanese!”  
  
“Yeah, your Dad’s quite the linguist,” Sicheng laughed, rolling his eyes. “I can speak Japanese too, you know,” he defended himself, puffing his chest out comedically, making his light blue sweatshirt define Sicheng’s chest.  
  
“Do you know Korean too?” Chenle asked, looking at Sicheng with a slight grin.  
  
“Well… not really-“  
  
“Ahh~” The kids laughed, pointing to Yuta. “Yukkah wins! Yukkah wins!”  
  
Sicheng rolled his eyes whilst laughing, all the time looking at Yuta’s prideful expression as he sat with his imaginary crown on. Once the laughter had died down, the family continued their conversations until the pretty waitress had returned to their table with the dishes. As she had placed Sicheng and Renjun’s down in turn, left in her hands were the Peking Duck meal and the wheat noodles.  
  
“Right, the uh… the plain noodles,” she said, still slightly confused. Nontheless, she still donned her winning smile.  
  
“And you’re sure it doesn’t have anything at all but the noodles?”  
  
“Yes sir, I’m positive.”  
  
“Wonderful!” Yuta smiled, helping take the bowl of plain noddles. Before the waitress could leave, Yuta examined the noodles and checked with Chenle, who nodded in satisfaction, to make sure they were up to standard. Then, after the waitress had set down the Peking Duck before Chenle and left, Yuta proceeded to swap their dishes, ignoring the stares of Renjun and Sicheng.  
  
“I know what you’re thinking…” Yuta said to the family who were all looking at him. Chenle, however, was digging into his noodles hungrily. “But… let’s all just enjoy this meal,” he smiled, looking at Sicheng who in turn looked at Renjun, who in turn just shrugged and started eating his dinner.  
  
Oh, the lengths to which Yuta will go to make his kids happy.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 03 / 2028  :  06:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta, Johnny, Ten, Jeno and Jaemin had been travelling from the port near Jaehyun’s old base for a few weeks now, and we beginning to ascend some of the more mountainous areas. The wind was getting chillier, the snow thicker and the trees taller. It was very early in the morning, with the pink sky caressing the forested area the group were currently walking through. Their plan was to find a suitable area, with places nearby to scavenge for goods, that was also easily defendable. So far, there weren’t any good areas sticking out to the group, but they had lots of food and water between them to allow for at least a few months worth of searching.  
  
Johnny, Ten and Jeno were leading the group, the 2 men having a conversation between themselves. Behind them were Yuta and Jaemin, walking at their own pace.  
  
“Yuta,” Jaemin whispered.  
  
“Yeah buddy?” Yuta whispered back, the crunch of the snow concealing their conversation.  
  
Jaemin looked like he was having an internal argument as he looked at the ground, and then to Yuta. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while and…”  
  
Yuta took his arm around the younger’s shoulders as Jaemin began to sob, his tears landing on the snow and dripping down his cheeks.  
  
“I need to go home… I can’t keep going with everyone like this…” he whispered, shoving his head into Yuta’s coat, and began to sob. “I want to go home, Yuta,” he cried.  
  
“You’re alright..” Yuta consoled, as he caught Ten’s confused look as Jaemin was currently buried in his side. “Lets talk about this later, okay? We’ll have a nice walk and you can calm down, and then you’ll think level headed again. How does that sound?” Yuta asks Jaemin.  
  
“I need to go home, Yuta! I need to!” Jaemin cried.  
  
“I want to go home too, Jaemin.”  
  
The pair kept walking behind the 3 ahead of them, the younger crying away his energy. Yuta really did feel a strong sense of sympathy for the boy; when so much uncertainty clouds your story of the apocalypse, you’re likely to grasp onto any form of hope, no matter how small it is. Realistically, the whole group (including Jaemin) knows there is nothing left for him at his house. He’s already visited it and found it to be empty. But there’s always that uncertainty lurking; he hasn’t been there in nearly 3 years. What if they are looking for Jaemin, but he’s up in the mountains? In reality, this is obviously not true, but Yuta didn’t want to burst his bubble. God knows what he’d do… it’s most likely that Jaemin’s only driving force right now is the slim slim _slim_ chance his family is still alive.  
  
“Jaemin?” a soft voice said from in front of them. Upon hearing his name, Jaemin turned his head up, and met Ten’s eyes. “Do you want to have a chat?” Yuta let him out of his arm, to which he stumbled over to Ten and Johnny. Jeno dispersed from the 3 of them, and began to walk next to Yuta instead.  
  
“How you holding up, Jeno?” Yuta asked quietly.  
  
“Am good. It’s cold here,” he whispered, breathing out and watching the air cloud before him.  
  
“It’s pretty chilly,” Yuta said back. “How’s your head?”  
  
“It doesn’t hurt anymore~” he smiled.  
  
“Good!”  
  
“And… your leg?” Jeno asked, pointing at the Japanese man’s leg. Yuta smiled at the question though; it felt nice to be cared about.  
  
“I think the fresh air and all the walking is helping it. And your Appa’s medicine, obviously.”  
  
Jeno hummed, before looking down at his boots, and looking up again. “Uncle Yuta?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“What was it like in.. Ja.. Ja..?”  
  
“Japan?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
“Well,” Yuta started. “It was… basically like here. But the buildings were really pretty and tall, and there are beautiful trees called cherry blossom trees,” he smiled. “It was really nice there. But I remember a lot more about China.”  
  
“Do you prefer China or Japan?” Jeno asked.  
  
“I grew up in Japan and my whole family.. lived there,” he paused. “But in China, I had Sichengie and the kids, and I’ll never forget how happy I was with them.”  
  
“So China?”  
  
“Yes, China.”  
  
“Cool~” Jeno said. Yuta turned up and watched Jaemin, who had definitely calmed down, and was speaking with the pair of men. Yuta couldn’t really explain how he felt though… he felt oddly protective over the teenager. So many times over the span of half a year Yuta and Jaemin had been there for each other, and a true friendship had formed in the direst of circumstances. If Jaemin left… Yuta would feel more alone, despite having the company of 3 other people. He would be the ultimate third wheel. But with Jaemin, they felt like a team together.  
  
Which is why, after their long conversation ended, Johnny and Ten stopped walking with Jaemin in the middle. He slowly turned around to face Yuta, making eye contact with him. Jaemin clenched his hands anxiously, and pressed them to his sides.  
  
“Yuta…” he sniffled.  
  
“Yes..?”  
  
“I’m going home..!” he smiled. His gummy smile was somewhat delirious, as he ran forward and took Yuta into a hug, practically bouncing on his feet. “I’m going home!” he yelled, hugging Yuta harder.  
  
But Yuta just looked to the ground as he hugged Jaemin, eyes filling with tears. He was leaving them. There was no possibility of Yuta going with Jaemin; he promised to Ten and Johnny that he’d help with the new base, as well as taking care of Jeno. So when Yuta patted him on the back, his hands started to shake slightly, but instead of wavering, he took him into a stronger hug.  
  
“I’m… I’m sorry I have to leave,” he whispered, getting out of the hug. “B-But I’ll be fine. I made it by myself all this time..!” he smiled. “I can’t wait, Yuta. Thank you for everything. Thank you,” he bowed deeply.  
  
Yuta struggled to make words. Why was Jaemin leaving affecting him so badly?  
  
“Y-You be safe out there kid,” he said, patting Jaemin’s arm. “Don’t take any shit. Always second guess everything. Okay?”  
  
“Okay!”  
  
“And when you get home, and if you find your parents, do you promise you’ll bring them back to our new base?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
“O-Okay..!” Yuta said in a weak attempt to match Jaemin’s enthusiasm, before taking him into another strong hug.  
  
“B-Bye guys.. thank you for everything!” Jaemin bowed to Ten, Johnny, Yuta (again) and even Jeno, before giving one final wave and leaping off into the forest, laughing as he ran.  
  
Yuta watched in despair as Jaemin left his life. Just like that. It was _that_ fast. And Yuta remained just as powerless as he always felt.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **20 / 05 / 2025  :  11:59am**.•°~  
  
  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Taeil scoffed, crossing his arms. Yuta was glaring at him, with a frightened Sicheng standing behind him. The afternoon sun was beaming down on them, as the adults stood off against each other.  
  
“You heard me. Don’t touch him again,” Yuta said, louder this time, and stepping forward so he was looking down on Taeil.  
  
“I didn’t touch hi-“  
  
“Yes you did!” Sicheng yelled in Chinese, Taeil not understanding what he said, as judged by the quizzical look on his face.  
  
“Back off,” Taeil said, puffing his chest slightly. “I didn’t touch anyone. Especially not _him._ I can do better.”  
  
“What did you just say?” Yuta whispered, poking Taeil’s chest as he approached him. Despite being angry as well, Sicheng looped his arm with Yuta’s, dragging him back slightly. “If you keep this u-“  
  
“HELP! HELP!”   
  
A familiar voice was screeching from not too far away.  
  
Instantly, Yuta and Sicheng’s heads whipped to the source of the scream.  
  
It may have been from a distance, but it felt magnified to both of the men. Blood was pouring from Renjun’s shoulder, as he slowly backed away from one of those _things_ crawling on the floor in front of him. Jeno was backing away on the small picnic table they were sat on, as Renjun’s screaming became louder and more unstable. Yuta and Sicheng didn’t even realise they were running, the older instantly taking his gun out of his belt. As soon as they arrived at the scene, Yuta didn’t hesitate in shooting the undead woman in the head, eyes flaming with anger. His fists clenched uncomfortably as the realisation of what had just happened began to dawn in Yuta’s mind. They can’t have been too late. They can’t have.  
  
“RENJUN?” Sicheng screamed, collapsing in front of him and taking him into his arms. Renjun began to speak incoherently about the incident, the tears flooding from his eyes now as his legs began to tremble.  “Renj-! Oh my god-“ Sicheng gasped, looking at the bite wound. “Did it bite you? Did it bite you?” the Father frantically cried, his eyes flickering between his sons distraught face and the wound on his shoulder.  
  
Renjun nodded, crying and shoving his face into Sicheng’s shoulder.  
  
Sicheng paused, tears filling his eyes. It felt like all the air had been kicked out of his lungs as he vacantly gazed at his son, who put his 7 year old hand to his shoulder only for it to come back soaked in red. Slowly but surely, the reality that Renjun was going to turn into one of them began to fill Sicheng’s mind.  
  
Renjun was going to die.  
  
Sicheng whisked him into his arms bridal style, and turned around to look at Yuta, his lower lip trembling. However, he was met with an empty space, watching as Yuta was running further into the camp, yelling for Chenle. As Sicheng watched Jeno get grabbed by Ten and hauled off in the opposite direction, he tried to look for Yuta in the ever growing crowd of terrified campers.  
  
“It hurts-!” Renjun whimpered, as Sicheng began to run in the opposite direction from Yuta towards the car. The Father didn’t know how to respond, just whispering sweet nothings into Renjun’s ears. He didn’t deserve this. Renjun didn’t deserve this awful life. Sicheng’s tears fell onto Renjun’s bloody jacket as he ran through the camp.  
  
“We’ll get you out of here baby,” Sicheng cried, reaching the slope down towards the parking lot. Unceremoniously, Sicheng kicked the passenger door, causing it to fling open, before he clamoured inside with Renjun safely in his lap.  
  
“W-Where’s Yukkah?” Renjun sobbed, before yelling in pain due to his bite wound.  
  
Just as Sicheng composed himself, wiping his tears, Yuta came barrelling out of the camp with Chenle swinging on his back. Luckily, Chenle was unscathed, his expression of extreme confusion embracing his face. Yuta threw open the car door and let Chenle crawl into the back seat, before throwing himself into the driver’s position. Raw emotion was covering Yuta’s face, yet no tears were falling, whilst Sicheng was a sobbing mess as he caressed Renjun’s face, who was currently sat on the Chinese man’s lap.  
  
As Yuta drove out of the campsite (The Nakamoto’s were one of the first cars gone), the inevitable had taken over Yuta’s senses. Renjun was going to die. There was nothing he could do to stop that fact. He was keeping back the crippling sorrow that would surely take over and so was focusing on the road ahead of him.  
  
How long did he have left with his son?  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 03 / 2026  :  05:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta walked through the wooded area, watching as the orange sunlight was filtered through the branches and leaves of the trees above him. His footsteps were softened by the damp underbrush he was stepping on, the cold air filling his lungs. He needed a breather from driving for just a few minutes. Yet, the thought of leaving Sicheng alone in the car was filling Yuta with worry.  
  
He quickly made his way back to the salmon coloured car.  
  
Sicheng was still sat in the passengers seat, arms wrapped around his legs, but his eyes were widen open. Gently, Yuta opened the younger’s side of the car, catching him when he fell due to his leaning posture on the now opened door. Sicheng was unresponsive, and still looked forward.  
  
“You’re awake now,” Yuta whispered, smiling at his husband. Sicheng didn’t say anything… he didn’t even turn to look at the Japanese man as he crouched on the ground, trying to catching Sicheng’s vacant stare. “Let’s go for a walk, come on,” he softly said, taking Sicheng’s hand in his and helping him out of the car. The fresh air would be good for him, Yuta thought. And anyway, Sicheng was incredibly dirty… he needed to be cared for still.  
  
At least Yuta had a sense of purpose, he thought. He had someone to look after. He had a reason to live.  
  
Carefully, Yuta set Sicheng down on the soft grass next to the parked car. Yuta took his backpack off, and set it next to him. Once it was opened, Yuta took out a bottle of water and a spare shirt. He took the lid off of the bottle, and then drenched the shirt in it. Wringing the shirt to get rid of the excess water, Yuta then put it on his lap.  
  
“Arms up baby,” Yuta whispered, taking Sicheng’s hands and lifting them up. Once Sicheng held the position, Yuta lifted Sicheng’s top off, folding it and putting it on the ground next to him. Sicheng’s body was slightly toned, and still lithe, yet it was covered in purple bruises and cuts from the countless situations the family had found themselves in. Yuta was no different, besides his body remaining somewhat athletic in appearance.  
  
Yuta moved himself so he was next to Sicheng, gently laying his head down onto his lap. Carefully, Yuta used the drenched shirt as a flannel of sorts, and began to wash the dirt off of Sicheng’s soft face. The younger closed his eyes, but besides that, he remained completely still as Yuta washed his body. After a few minutes had passed, Yuta had finally finished washing his soulmate, digging into his backpack to find another one of Sicheng’s more fresh shirts to wear.  
  
Well, none of them were fresh, but… Yuta tried to keep things in good condition. Once Sicheng was dried off with the shirt he was just wearing, Yuta gently lifted Sicheng’s arms again, and with success, managed to get a navy blue sweatshirt onto his husband.  
  
All of a sudden, Yuta felt a warm body pressing into him.  
  
Sicheng had latched himself onto Yuta, gripping his arms around the older’s body. Yuta was quick to accommodate his lover, sliding his arms beneath Sicheng’s and holding him. The couple hugged on the floor, with Yuta overjoyed that Sicheng had finally returned some of the affection Yuta had been giving him for so long with nothing in return. But Yuta wasn’t expecting anything in return anyway. That wasn’t love. Yuta promised on his wedding day that he’d stick by Sicheng for as long as he lived, and the apocalypse was no exception.  
  
The hug was too short for Yuta… he would’ve preferred if it went on forever. But eventually, Sicheng pulled away, and let out a sigh, before returning to his vacant stare. Yuta smiled and planted a soft kiss on his head, before standing up and helping Sicheng to his feet. The older intertwined his fingers with the younger, and began to walk down the road. They wouldn’t stray too far from the car, but far enough that Sicheng could get some exercise and fresh air.  
  
Yuta’s mind was buzzing with the fact that Sicheng, even if it was for just a few seconds, showed some kind of affection. It set his heart on fire, and reassured him that he wasn’t caring for him for no reason. Sicheng didn’t feel like such a black hole anymore.  
  
It was comforting. Yuta felt warm after the hug, despite the rest of his body remaining shackled in the cold due to the death of his youngest son.  
  
Yuta missed his kids like crazy. Their smiles were forever running through Yuta’s mind like a never ending movie, that always ended in their screams and their horrified expressions. But, thanks to Sicheng, that hug was just what Yuta needed to be able to continue in this life.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **01 / 12 / 2012  :  08:19pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta was currently sat on a small couch in Sicheng’s tiny apartment, with the latter mentioned currently resting his head on the older’s shoulder. The couple were watching a movie, alongside stealing kisses from each other every now and then. Sicheng’s apartment was freezing and Sicheng lacked the funds for any kind of heating. As well as this, the wall paper was slightly chipped and, from a few doors down, loud shouting could be heard (the apartment block wasn’t in the most safe area of town, so this wasn’t too uncommon for Sicheng). But the couple were in heaven, as all they needed was each other.  
  
Sicheng leaned over to the small coffee table, taking his phone off of the surface. Tapping the home button, a text message notification appeared on his brightened background (a selfie of him and Yuta). Worry instantly invaded Sicheng’s face, and he moved away from Yuta to read the message in privacy.  
  
The older turned, slightly confused at the change in mood from his boyfriend. Even though the apartment had limited light (seeing as the lights were all turned off bar a few candles, on the premise that it created a nicer atmosphere and also Sicheng didn’t want to pay so much for the bills), Yuta could still read his love’s emotions like an open book.  
  
“Sichengie? Are you okay?”  
  
All the colour seemed to have drained from his face upon reading the message. He pursed his lips as he turned to see Yuta’s gaze. Sicheng had successfully hidden this part of his life for so long, but now, it was unavoidable.  
  
“Y-Yeah I just… My boss just texted me asking me if I could work tonight,” he sighed, looking down.  
  
Yuta looked puzzled for a moment. This was the first time Yuta even knew Sicheng was employed, and they’d been in a relationship for quite a while by now. “I didn’t know you had a job,” Yuta replied, shuffling down the couch and placing his hand on Sicheng’s bare leg, which was hardly covered by a pair of black pyjama shorts.  
  
Sicheng hummed. “I uh… I don’t really like it, but the pay is good, at least,”  
  
“What do you do?” Yuta smiled, moving his arm back around Sicheng’s shoulder.  
  
Perhaps that was the wrong question to ask, as Sicheng instantly stiffened beneath his arm. The younger covered his face with his hands, his blonde hair flopping over his expression.  
  
“I… I dance, you could say,” Sicheng whispers.  
  
“You dance?” Yuta soothed. He was beginning to put the pieces together now. Something Sicheng had clearly been keeping from Yuta’s attention, that happened late at night, paid well and involved… dancing.  
  
Sicheng nodded.  
  
“And I r-really want to say that I can’t go tonight, because I don’t want to leave you alone but… my boss is scary, Yukkie… he promises me protection in this area for my… dancing… and I’m scared that if I keep pushing him he’ll send people after me,” he sniffles, covering his face again.  
  
Yuta gently took both of Sicheng’s hands from his face into his own warm ones, and gently rubbed his fingers. Sicheng was still avoiding Yuta’s gaze, but the older wanted his boyfriend to know that it was okay. He just wanted to comfort him, and the idea that Yuta was indirectly causing this unhappiness didn’t sit well with Yuta at all.  
  
“Sichengie, baby,” he moved closer to his boyfriend. “This dancing… be honest with me, is it… stripping?”  
  
Sicheng froze.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“And it’s… just stripping, right?”  
  
“Oh sh- yes! Yes, it’s just stripping,” Sicheng quickly confirmed, letting out a choked sob. “It’s nothing else.”  
  
Yuta digested this information. He’d always seen Sicheng in this shy, clumsy and nervous light. His outward appearance was that of innocence and beauty, and his heart was no different. Having learnt Sicheng was a stripper… Yuta didn’t know how to take it. He had no problem with it, obviously, but ideally he would of liked to of known before the date of their 2 year anniversary, at least. And he understood why Sicheng kept it from him. It could really be seen as embarrassing, and to be honest, maybe Yuta wouldn’t of thought of Sicheng as so ‘clueless’ if he knew his occupation. But surely Sicheng would’ve understood that Yuta loved him no matter what?  
  
“You know I’m okay with it, right?” Yuta whispered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.  
  
“You are?” Sicheng whispered back, making eye contact with him for the first time since he had received the text. “You’re not going to leave me?”  
  
“Sichengie don’t be silly,” Yuta grinned, taking him into a warm hug. “Sure I wish that you told me earlier but, you didn’t know how I was going to react. You know that I love you no matter what, right?”  
  
Sicheng nodded, running his hands lovingly up and down Yuta’s back. Eventually, the pair separated, and smiled at each other as they sat on the couch, the candle light illuminating their expressions of love for each other.  
  
“So when did you… start?” Yuta asks tentatively.  
  
Luckily, Sicheng was willing to open up about this. “Since I was seventeen. Ever since Mom and Dad disowned me I really needed to make some money… and, well, it just kind of worked. I was studying dance already so it was kind of just shifting my skills to a different area of it,”  
  
Yuta took him into another hug. No teenager should be forced into that life, especially by his own parents.  
  
“It was the boss who paid for my university fees in Osaka, saying that if I was better educated he could move me to uh… higher paying clients. But I don’t really want to be stripping for the rest of my life, Yukkie. I just need to pay off my debts and then I want to leave this awful area.”  
  
Planting a kiss on his forehead, Yuta regained eye contact. “I want to help you.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“You don’t deserve this life, baby. You deserve a life full of luxury and happiness, not a life stripping for people late at night.”  
  
“It’s… it’s impossible to get that,” Sicheng sighed. “It’s too much money to ask of you, Yuta. I’m just working to my goals and if we’re lucky I’ll be able to quit-“  
  
“Baby, I’m going to help you as much as I want,” Yuta smiled. “I don’t have that much either but I’ve got an interview for some job when I get back to Japan, and if all goes well I’ll be earning a higher wage,”  
  
Sicheng sighed, and moved forward, closing the gap between their lips. “Thank you for being so amazing,” Sicheng whispered, wrapping his arms around Yuta’s neck. “I couldn’t of asked for a better boyfriend. I really thought you were just going to run away when I revealed that part of my life,”  
  
“Fuck, Sicheng, who would abandon you for something like that?”  
  
Sicheng paused. “It’s happened.”  
  
“Really?” the older asked, in awe at the capacity some people have to be real dickheads.  
  
“Yeah. I used to be really honest, and tell them on the first date, but they’d just leave. And once I actually saw one of my boyfriends in the joint… that was awkward,” he breathed. “But you’re better than all of them, Yukkie!~”  
  
“I sure am,” he grinned, kissing Sicheng on the lips again.  
  
When Yuta moved himself back, Sicheng used his arms around his neck to bring him over to his lips again, the younger deepening the kiss between them.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 08 / 2027  :  04:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta finished reading Sicheng’s suicide note for the 3 rd time that day. His whole body ached for his family right now, further heightened by the presence of so many friendships around him in Jaehyun’s base. It was awful… Yuta had never felt this jealous before. He was alone in this world now, with no one he loved still alive.  
  
But, at least he had Jaemin and Vivi. They were kind, but they didn’t hold a candle to Sicheng. Yuta just wanted him back so badly, to feel his feather light kiss against his lips, to watch his clumsy nature transform a simple walk over a slippery surface into a whole skating routine in a matter of seconds.  
  
Sighing, Yuta slipped the note back into his special box, tightening the lid. Yuta shoved the shoe box beneath his bunk, and used a spare blanket to cover it even further. There are some parts of Yuta’s life which he just won’t allow anyone to ever see, and Sicheng’s note was one of those things. That was for Yuta and no one else.  
  
He regained his footing, and left the empty cabin. The wind was chilling and the grass was damp, but the cold air refilled Yuta with much needed energy. He had to focus on something else to get himself out of this rut, to divert his attention from wanting his family. The feelings never disappeared, really, but they could be placated. Even if it was just for a while.  
  
Something was different in the air. What was usually general hubbub around… Yuta guessed it was 4pm, there seemed to be apprehension clouding the base. In fact, the Japanese man focused ahead of him, and saw a crowd forming a circle. Strolling over, Yuta managed to find a gap in the survivors, and pushed to the front to see what was happening that required so much attention from everyone.  
  
In the middle of the ringed crowd was Jaehyun, angrily shouting over a quivering Jaemin. The 17 year old had a bright red mark on his cheek, with the leader of the base yelling cuss words and obscenities at the young boy.  
  
“I can’t believe he was caught stealing food,” someone whispered to another person, just in Yuta’s ear shot. “The brat deserves the beating…”  
  
_Fuck_. Yuta cast his memories back to when he taught Jaemin how he could get away with stealing supplies, but he never thought he’d do it without him. The amount of trouble that Jaemin would be in, all because of Yuta…  
  
The guilt hit him like a train when Jaehyun brought his palm against Jaemin’s cheek again.  
  
“That’s enough, Jaehyun,” Yuta spat, emerging from the crowd. Jaemin’s tear stricken face turned up to look at Yuta, whilst Jaehyun’s face was glistening with anger.  
  
“What did you just say to me?” he growled in response to Yuta’s impolite statement.  
  
“I said that’s enough. Look at the poor kid, you’ve taught him his lesson.”  
  
Jaehyun directed his attention away from Jaemin, and began to slowly walk over to Yuta. “Who the FUCK are you to say if I’ve done my job or not?” he sneered. Albeit, his sneer wasn’t half as intimidating as he intended, seeing as he had to look up to Yuta. The Japanese man was 7 years older than Jaehyun, bare in mind, so Yuta couldn’t help but almost pity his inflated ego.  
  
Yuta sighed, closing his eyes and rolling them. He couldn’t deal with twats like this. “All I said was lay off him. You don’t need to add child abuser to your many ‘titles’.”  
  
The crowd watching them were silent, the majority of them admiring Yuta’s sudden heroic nature, whilst the rest seething with anger over the man who was defending the supply stealer.  
  
Unfortunately, the crowd did nothing as Jaehyun punched Yuta straight on the nose.  
  
It wasn’t Yuta’s first beating, as he watched the blood drip from his nose onto the grass. And even though so many people had just watched, it wasn’t even embarrassing; Yuta wasn’t going to abandon his morals when he watched a child of all people being unjustfully beaten. Well, perhaps Jaemin did have a reason for being hit, but Yuta claimed responsibility fully. It should’ve been him getting the punishment in the first place… at least Yuta would have been able to handle it. Jaehyun angrily walked away from Yuta and Jaemin, the crowd eventually dispersing as the drama had ended. Yuta dabbed his sleeve to his nose, the material returning in a shade of deep crimson.  
  
Suddenly, someone had grasped themselves around Yuta. Once he’d registered it, Yuta realised it wasn’t an attack, but… a hug. A hug from a weeping Jaemin.  
  
“Come on kid, let’s move this somewhere else,” Yuta whispered, trying his best to reclaim his soothing tone he used so often with his family.  
  
Yuta lead Jaemin out of the base and into the forest, enduring a 5 minute walk up a nearby hill. Once Yuta sat down, Jaemin instantly threw himself down next to Yuta, and grabbed on once again.  
  
“It’s okay,” Yuta whispered. Jaemin was fucking gone. His crying was hysterical, and he was clutching onto Yuta desperately. A situation like that, sure, Yuta could handle it, but Jaemin, at his emerging age of 17 where his hormones are raging, a public beating like that is sure to send him over the edge. “He’s gone now, it’s okay,” Yuta soothed again, rubbing his shoulder. Whilst Jaemin was dampening Yuta’s shirt with his tears, Yuta attended to his nose with his sleeve.  
  
“T-Thank you-“ Jaemin cried, clinging to Yuta even more.  
  
“It’s my fault you were up there Jaemin, I did the right thing and defended you,” Yuta comforted him, patting his back. The tears kept coming and coming and coming against Yuta’s body.  
  
Yuta was a bit rusty, but… he enjoyed looking after someone again.  
  
It gave him a little bit of purpose.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **22 / 04 / 2025  :  05:56pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
It had happened so quickly. The family were returning to their hotel after feeling unsafe during a shopping trip in the middle of Busan. That morning on the news, an airborne virus was announced to have infected Korea, meaning face masks must be worn by everyone, without fail. So, despite Sicheng’s complaints that they should just stay in the hotel for the day, Yuta wanted to take the family out, saying how they’d be fine.  
  
Well, that was before Renjun had an itchy nose, leading to his mask falling off of his face momentarily on the subway. Hoping no one had noticed, Yuta quickly hurried the mask back onto his face, but it was to no avail; instantly, the passengers of the train began to yell, pointing at the terrified young boy, yelling words such as ‘Disease’, ‘Infected’, ‘Dirty’.  
  
At least Renjun couldn’t understand them, but he could tell from their angry faces that the crowd weren’t exactly yelling words of praise.  
  
When the family got off the train, there were already armed guards waiting for the family, who very unceremoniously grabbed Renjun’s arm, and began to walk off. Instantly, the family began to argue with the guards, preventing them from leaving, before they announced they’d be taking Renjun to the hospital _alone_ to be treated and isolated in the quarantine section.  
  
So, in response, Yuta threw his mask angrily on the floor, and breathed in dramatically. After the guards had grabbed onto his arm too, ensuring they’d at least be kept together, Yuta yelled back to the family watching the scene unfold that they’d be okay, and they’d get back to the hotel eventually.  
  
It was now where this scene was set, in a locked hospital room, where Yuta and Renjun sat. Alone.  
  
“We’ll be okay, buddy,” Yuta whispered to Renjun. “The Doctor will understand that you only had your mask off for a split second. You’ll be able to go, and I just texted Baba; he’s waiting outside with Chenle for you.”  
  
“But, Yukkah, what about you?” he whispered. “You inhaled loads of air,”  
  
Hm. Yuta frowned slightly… he hadn’t really thought that far. “I’ll find a way, I promise.”  
  
All of a sudden, the door to the quarantined section opened, with a doctor walking in. He had dark black hair, and was fairly small in stature; Yuta would easily tower over him if they stood next to each other. But as of right now, Yuta was sat on the hospital bed’s edge with Renjun sat on his lap.  
  
“Ah, hello,” the Doctor said to the pair, looking down at the clipboard. “You were exposed to air on the subway, correct?”  
  
Yuta nodded. Renjun had no idea what he was saying, as he could not speak a single word of Korean.  
  
“You’re Chinese tourists?” he asked suddenly. “I’m Chinese too!” the Doctor said in Chinese all of a sudden, with Renjun’s head turning instantly upon hearing the common words. “My name is Kun. What’s your name?”  
  
“I’m called Renjun,” the youngest whispered unconfidently. “Please let us out of here!” he quickly followed it with. “We haven’t done anything wrong! I just want to go home now,” his raised voice lowered with each spoken syllable.  
  
Kun the Doctor let out a sigh, and looking down at the clipboard. “I’m really sorry, I can’t authorize that. In fact, I only came in here to tell you two that you need to be relocated to a quarantine ward further into the hospital, as these rooms need to be used for some emergency cases. So, if you would all follow me?”  
  
Yuta sighed, and patted Renjun’s back in comfort. As they left the room of quarantine with their medical masks on, Yuta’s mind began to race with possible plans of escape. The hallway was incredibly chaotic, but not so much that Yuta couldn’t hear himself think. But, once he saw the Janitor’s closet, he knew exactly what to do. Grabbing onto Renjun’s shirt, Yuta quickly opened the closet door and threw Renjun in, hastily following him and shutting the door, making sure Kun couldn’t see them as he was too busy finding his way through the hospital.  
  
After a few moments passed, Yuta concluded that Kun had lost them.  
  
“Yukkah that was so cool!” Renjun praised. And whilst Yuta couldn’t help but feel smug, he had more stuff to focus on right now, as he rummaged through the shelves, looking for something. But what?  
  
“Agh! I found it, thank god,” Yuta whispered, finding a Janitor’s jacket. He quickly propped his arms through the sleeves, and even though it was too long, that wasn’t a problem that rolling up the sleeves couldn’t help. Then, taking the cleaning cart from the corner of the closet, Yuta turned to Renjun.  
  
“Alright Junnie,” Yuta cleared off the cleaning supplies from the bottom shelf of the cart so it was clear for Renjun. “Hop in here,” he whispered.  
  
“But Yukkah,” Renjun said as he climbed into the cart. “It’s open on all the sides, someone will see me,”  
  
“That’s what you think,” Yuta grinned, before searching the shelves again and taking down a large navy-blue cover. Throwing it over the cart, he made sure all the sides were covered so Renjun was entirely hidden. Once he put some miscellaneous cleaning items on the top of the cart, so Yuta could have some kind of proper alibi if he was questioned, he leaned down to the edge of the cart.  
  
“You okay in there?”  
  
Silence.  
  
“Junnie?”  
  
“I’m practising being silent,” he whispered back.  
  
“Alright buddy, you keep doing that. It might get a bit bumpy, but the next time you get out of there, we’ll be out of this hospital.”  
  
Even though Yuta was met with silence, he smiled. Opening the door to the hospital corridor was a shock in comparison to the quietness of the Janitor’s closet. But good thing Yuta had an amazing poker face, as his visage was showing no signs of emotion as he trundled the cart through the hospital’s corridors, not being bothered by anyone. Eventually, Yuta trundled the cart to an empty elevator, and clicked the ground floor button.  
  
The doors slid shut with a loud clunk.  
  
“Okay, we’re alone now Junnie, you can speak,”  
  
“Yukkah! Did no one realise?”  
  
“Nope! We’re nearly there.”  
  
Renjun’s giggles filled the tight elevator space, until Yuta quickly hushed him when the elevator’s dinging announced that it had reached it’s destination.  
  
“Excuse me,” Yuta said to the black haired doctor who stood in front of him, blocking the elevator’s way. The doctor was on his phone talking to his… husband? Those were the only words Yuta took from his conversation. Luckily, he moved out of the way quickly, allowing Yuta to stroll through the main hall with his janitor’s cart and uniform. Once he reached the double glass doors, he could see Sicheng holding Chenle on his shoulder out front, the pair talking between themselves, with a very worried expression plastered on Sicheng’s face. Armed guards were yelling at Sicheng, who was blatantly ignoring them.  
  
“Okay Junnie, we’re going to run now,” Yuta whispered, quickly lifting the sheet up off of the cart, allowing his son to leap out and barrel through the doors. The Dad was quick to follow, throwing the now empty cart to the side and rushing to keep up with his son.  
  
“RENJUN! YUTA!” Sicheng yelled, waving his free hand at the pair as they sprinted towards him. “Why are you wearing a Janitor’s jacket?”  
  
“I’ll explain later,” Yuta panted, “but now we really need to go, okay?”  
  
Sicheng, catching wind of what he meant, was quick to accommodate. “Alright, Lele hold on, Junnie stay with your Dad,”  
  
Those were the last words they heard before they sprinted away from the hospital, in the direction of the car park where Sicheng parked the rental. Thank god he had driven here from the subway station.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **12 / 02 / 2020  :  02:59am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta was ripped out of his sleep by a wailing sound piercing through the silence of the night from the baby monitor. With a groan, Yuta sat up instantly and rubbed his eyes, followed by Sicheng. The couple sat listening to the crying for a few moments, registering the noise and attempting to wake up.  
  
“Sichengie-ah… go to sleep,” Yuta murmured, gently pushing Sicheng back down onto the mattress. “I’ll-“ he let out a hard yawn. “I’ll deal with him,”  
  
Before Sicheng had the chance to argue back, the moment his head hit the pillow, he murmured a quick ‘Okay’, before letting out a comforted sigh. Yuta stumbled through the darkness of their bedroom, before practically collapsing through the ajar door and into the hallway. He quickly flicked on a switch and let out a groan when the fluorescent lighting assaulted his vision.  
  
Once the blurred white had faded, Yuta walked down the corridor and slowly opened the door to the kid’s bedroom. Inside, Yuta was faced with a large mattress on the ground with a pastel blue quilt covering 2 figures. Whilst 1 of them, facing away from Yuta, was still with his small chest rising and falling in the arms of sleep (a feat which Yuta thought impossible with a crying child next to him), the other was sat up and sobbing. Gently, Yuta knelt down to the crying baby and lifted him up, cooing in his tiny ear, before walking him out of the corridor and closing the door.  
  
In Yuta’s arms was Chenle, the parent’s 4 month old baby, wisps of blonde hair sprouting from his head. The kid wasn’t a spitting image of Yuta like Renjun was, but infact possessed more of Sicheng’s features, such as his button nose and the soft jawline. His cheeks were wet with tears, and his tiny hands gripped onto Yuta’s bare shoulders for comfort.  
  
“It’s okay baby,” Yuta whispered, whilst staggering down the stairs to the lower floor of the family’s house. He flicked on a light switch, illuminating the living area and kitchen. The living room was tastefully decorated, the colour scheme consisting of steel blues and soft whites, with bursts of greenery from small, fake plants Sicheng loved to buy. Ever since Yuta had landed his job as a translator for the government, his heavy paycheque each month allowed for the family to splurge a bit more than usual. And most importantly, it allowed for Sicheng to pay off his debts and leave his horrible life from before. The house, and their kids, represented their new beginnings. Their new beginnings with each other.  
  
Yuta balanced Chenle in his arms as he opened the fridge and took out a bottle of baby formulae. Once he’d warmed it up enough, he slowly walked over to the plush couch in the middle of the living room, and sat down, resting Chenle on his chest. He guided the nib of the bottle to Chenle’s lips, and smiled when his son finally calmed down. The February air was freezing, with Yuta just wearing his favourite pair of track shorts to bed. However, in bed he had Sicheng’s warm body to cuddle, whilst in the open room downstairs, the cold was beginning to have an effect on Yuta. He let out a brief shiver, and brought Chenle closer to him, in an effort to prevent his son from getting any colder either. Chenle always came first for Yuta.  
  
“Is that better?” Yuta whispered, after taking the empty bottle away from Chenle. The ’19 liner babbled in response, to which Yuta assumed he was probably just saying yes but… in baby language. Yuta had no idea what he was trying to say, but Sicheng and him would often pretend to mimic voices as to what their kids were saying when they babbled nonsense to them. This included just funny instances where Chenle might playfully slap Yuta’s shoulder, and Sicheng would instantly say a remark in a high pitched voice.  
  
The ’88 liner opened the door to their son’s bedroom, and set Chenle down underneath the covers next to Renjun (who was thankfully still asleep). Chenle beckoned his arms for Yuta once he’d stood up straight again, as if asking for a hug, and Yuta was quick to comply, kneeling down and hugging Chenle. With this, his young son yawned and lay back down onto the mattress. And with a soft kiss on the forehead, Yuta closed the bedroom door, before quickly turning the downstairs lights off.  
  
Yuta crept back into his bedroom, surprised to find the bedside light turned on. Sicheng was beneath the covers, wearing a striped black and white sweatshirt with messed up blonde hair, playing on his Nintendo. The older couldn’t help but smirk, walking around the bed and getting back into bed, adjusting his pillow so he was sitting up next to his husband.  
  
“Sichengie it’s like, quarter past three, you should be asleep,” he murmured, kissing the side of Sicheng’s face lightly. The younger giggled, his attention focused on his Nintendo.  
  
“Agh~ I know, but… I couldn’t sleep with you here,” he whispered back, apparently saving his game and shutting the console. Once he’d set it on the bedside table, he turned around so he was now face to face, snug in Yuta’s embrace. The pair looked at each other in the warm light of the lamp, with Yuta gently reaching up and moving a hair out of Sicheng’s vision.  
  
“You’re so beautiful,” Yuta whispered, looking into the dark brown pools in Sicheng’s eyes. He gently blushed and looked down, before looking up again at Yuta with a smitten look painted all over his visage.  
  
“I don’t deserve you,” Sicheng whispered back, planting a soft kiss on Yuta’s lips. The kiss was charged with sensitivity and feelings, with it’s usual feather touch yet shrouded in the cool blanket of an early morning. The kiss wouldn’t lead to anything more, the adults were far too tired for anything like that, but it gave Yuta a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  
  
“I love you, Sicheng.”  
  
“I love you too,” he whispered back, getting further into the covers and resting his head on the older’s chest. Yuta leant over him and flicked the lamp off.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2026  :  02:4?pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Chenle was feeling particularly brave today.  
  
He watched as his parents mulled over a road map, that was stretched over the bonnet of the car. Yuta and Sicheng were both pointing their fingers down the paper and talking between themselves, completely oblivious to the blonde boy watching them. In Chenle’s hand dangled a scarf Yuta had gifted to him a few weeks ago. The garment was soft, and Chenle often found himself cuddling with it to help him fall asleep.  
  
It reminded him of his Yukkah.  
  
And if there’s 1 thing his Yukkah was, it was strong and brave. Countless memories of his Father acting heroically flashed before him. There was a brilliant range of memories including Yuta flashing across Chenle’s mind, such as that one time where Yuta killed a particularly large spider that was frightening Chenle, to the other time where Yuta was shooting down several members of the undead whilst Baba was trying to start any car that was possible. It was so scary back then, but it slowly dawned on Chenle that without Yuta, he wouldn’t be here today.  
  
Suddenly, Renjun flashed into Chenle’s mind. The young boy squeezed his eyes shut before the sadness could control him again. It wasn’t long before Yuta was the star of his memories again.  
  
Yuta was Chenle’s idol. Everything he did, Chenle admired. Yuta was the perfect Dad in Chenle’s eyes: he was strong and could protect him, but was also soft and compassionate, such as when he helped Chenle with his picky eating. Chenle wished that he grew up to be just an ounce like his Father.  
  
But that was Chenle’s fatal, and ultimately his last, mistake. He wanted to grow up at a pace that wasn’t designed for him. In a world where 1 wrong move leads to your death, mistakes are unforgiving. The Nakamoto family had already learnt this lesson.  
  
Was history was about to repeat itself?  
  
Chenle wanted to grow up so badly, though! His mind was racing with ways he could prove to his parents that he was grown up too. Why couldn’t Chenle look at the map too? He wanted to show them that he could!  
  
So, with the parent’s too busy talking to each other as they leant over the car, Chenle stepped off of the road and instead onto the prickly grass of the forest that was surrounding the road they had parked on. Chenle needed the toilet, and he always had to be accompanied. But his parents never had to be accompanied when _they_ needed the toilet, and if Chenle was going to grow up, then he should be able to go by himself! The idea seemed so perfect in Chenle’s young mind, as he began to walk further into the forest. Once he had come back, he could tell Yuta that he was grown up now.  
  
Then he’d be able to look at the map! The prospect of joining Yuta and Sicheng in their grown up conversations thrilled Chenle. He had a bright big smile on his face as he lost sight of the car, and ventured deeper into the trees.  
  
He was doing it! Chenle was doing it! He was surely an adult now.  
  
A twig snapped.  
  
Chenle turned.  
  
“We have to go straight ahead anyway, so no matter what, we’ll just reach that station whether we want to head east or not,” Yuta mutters, looking at the map.  
  
Sicheng crosses his arms. “Just- Just, you handle it, Yukkie. You’ve got us this far so I’m just going to trust your judgement. You know where to take us. You keep us safe,” he smiled, brushing Yuta’s arm.  
  
“I’d be a pretty useless guy if I didn’t,” Yuta grinned, planting a chaste kiss on Sicheng’s lips. Sicheng drifted off from the hood of the car, to which Yuta began to wrap up the map he’d found. As he walked back around to the drivers side of the car, something grabbed onto his arms from behind, causing Yuta to turn around instantly.  
  
“H-He’s gone-H-“  
  
“What?” Yuta says, gripping onto Sicheng to stabilize him. The younger’s face was completely white, and he was shaking.  
  
“Chenle’s gone. He’s not here-“ he whispered unstably, staring Yuta in the eyes.  
  
Yuta dropped his arms from Sicheng, and immediately turned to the forest edge. He scanned the tree line, looking for any sign of movement, of _anything_ , but to no avail.  
  
“CHENLE?” He screamed, before sprinting into the woods.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2028  :  11:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta was bleeding, heavily. He was trying to keep the wounds from his arm from gushing blood, but it was to no avail. Jaehyun and his men were chasing the pair like a pack of crazed dogs, high on the scent of fresh meat. The blood was not helping Ten and Yuta’s escape, seeing as it was leaving a lovely trail that lead right to them. Yuta may as well of held up his flashlight and screamed “We’re over here! Come and torture us and kill our loved ones!” with the amount of direction his blood was giving away.  
  
A few hours ago, when Ten and Yuta finally found Jaehyun, the battle was already over. It would be an understatement to say that blood was everywhere. Jaehyun and several men were panting, kneeling over or crouching, in the middle of a street of the nearby town. There was no sign of Johnny. Several daggers, swords and knives lay all around the men, each coated in slick crimson.  
  
What had they fucking done to him?  
  
The pair still didn’t know. All Ten and Yuta knew was that Johnny was alive. Injured, but alive. He’d fought his way through Jaehyun’s sick little game, and managed to escape. God knows where he was by now, but he was somewhere. After a small verbal altercation when Yuta and Ten arrived at the scene (Jaehyun was never a fan of Yuta, and especially not Ten after their little ‘incident’ that 1 night), they had given chase, driving the pair back into the forest. A large snow storm had since began, shrouding the forest in a haze of snow and darkness.  
  
Yuta dragged Ten to the ground, behind an outcropping of rocks. On one side was a winding, frozen stream, whilst on the other was a large gathering of foliage. The pair were successfully hidden, but it wouldn’t take long for Jaehyun and his goons to put 2 and 2 together and realise they were hiding, not running.  
  
“Ten, listen to me,” Yuta whispered. The unstable man shakily turned his head to Yuta, wiping a cut that was lacing his forehead.  
  
Yuta was unsure if he was still confident in what he was about to say.  
  
Ten had a family. Johnny was out there, undoubtedly looking for his loved ones, and Jeno was currently with Jaemin in safety. If Ten were to die… the consequences would be unimaginable. No one deserved to go through that kind of pain. Yuta had been through it three times separately, but Ten’s family… they were almost so ‘fresh’. They’d had tragedy after tragedy thrown at them, sure, but they were all still alive to tell the tale. If Ten were to die at this point of their story, it would break Johnny and Jeno to an extent that Yuta didn’t know they would be able to handle. Jeno was just a small, innocent 5 year old, and a cute one at that. He deserved to grow up with both of his Dads. But, if Ten and Yuta were to be caught by Jaehyun… the chances that that would happen would be reduced to near impossible. Yuta had to save Ten.  
  
No one was waiting for Yuta, besides maybe Jaemin. But the friendship they had wasn’t love. Yuta was alone in this world. If he died, he would be mourned for a few days, but life would go on. His absence wouldn’t destroy anyone. But if Ten died, Johnny and Jeno’s worlds would fall apart.  
  
So Yuta had to do the correct thing.  
  
“Ten, I’m going to distract them… and you’re going to run away, okay?” Yuta whispered, his eyes suddenly glossy. Everyone thought of Yuta as stone hearted, but the truth was hidden well beneath the surface.  
  
“W-What? Yuta, that’s suicide..?”  
  
Yuta pursed his lips and nodded. “When they go after me, I want you to run away. I want you to keep running, find Johnny, find Jeno, and live on. You need to live, Ten. There’s no one waiting for me after today. But you… so many people love you, Ten. Fuck, even I do, to an extent. So you need to run. You need to continue your life. Even if…” Yuta sighed, and looked down.   
  
“Even if that means I have to die.”  
  
“Yuta…” Ten whispered, wiping his tears that were readily running down his cheeks. His face was now coated in a dull red from the blood that was coating his fingers. “You… you would do that?” his voice was coated with uncertainty, as if this was a deal too good to be true. It wasn’t every day that someone offers to throw themselves into a death trap in order to let you live.  
  
“You have Johnny and Jeno. In the end… who do I have?”  
  
“Yuta-“ Ten started, but Yuta had already sprang up from the underbrush. Instantly, one of Jaehyun’s men locked eyes with him, and let out a loud yell to call over the rest of the group.  
  
He’d already made his decision.  
  
“ALRIGHT FUCKERS!” Yuta yelled, jumping over the frozen stream. Ten watched from the safety of the bushes as the Japanese man hoisted his gun and shot it at the sky several times. The loud bangs from his gun blurred out the rest of Yuta’s voice as he yelled obscenities at Jaehyun, before high tailing it in the opposite direction through the forest. Loud, stamping noises of boots on the ground surrounded Ten as he cowered in fear, with Jaehyun and his men running in Yuta’s direction.  
  
Ten let out a choked sob. The chance Yuta would survive was practically 0%. A harsh reality was that Yuta had laid down his life like that for Ten, Johnny and Jeno at the flick of a switch. Would he ever be able to live with it? Would Ten be able to live with the fact that Yuta’s name would be scribbled in red on the never ending list of deaths Ten had caused?  
  
Ten would never forget the selflessness shown by Nakamoto Yuta, and as he got up and ran in the opposite direction of the hostility, he said a silent prayer in hopes that Yuta may make it out alive after all.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **31 / 07 / 2025  :  02:3?am**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta, Sicheng and Chenle were walking down a dirt track, in the middle of an agricultural area. It was the dead of night, and there was a soft breeze, causing the long grass on either side of the family to gently sway. Chenle was in Yuta’s arms, asleep (for once). Sicheng was walking just ahead of the pair, his arms folded, and he was looking up to the sky.  
  
Unfortunately, the family had lost the car a few weeks ago, as it finally ran out of gas. They’d been walking for a while now, but had found a nice abandoned barn in the middle of a field to sleep in. With no good reason to venture away unless it was to find more resources, the Nakamoto family had stayed there for quite a while at this point.  
  
They’d have to leave eventually. The trio had just been to a gas station not too far from the barn and found some supplies to last them for another week, but that would be it. A relocation effort was on the horizon, something no one was really looking forward to.  
  
A crunching noise was heard as the pair’s shoes came into contact with the dry hay on the ground of the barn. Yuta climbed the structure (carefully, as he still had his son in his arms), setting Chenle down on the sleeping bag that they’d kept there. When Yuta turned around to look for Sicheng, he found that he was actually at the exit of the barn, leaning against the wall.  
  
Yuta was quick to climb back down and join him.  
  
“Sichengie?” He whispered, slowly walking behind him. “Are you okay?”  
  
The ’90 liner turned around, his eyes puffy and his cheeks stained with tears. In what had become a reflexive movement, Yuta opened his arms, Sicheng running up and collapsing in them. The younger man began to heavily cry into Yuta, rubbing his hands all across his back as the tears ran down his sweatshirt. Yuta didn’t even question it, he just acted as the much needed support Sicheng so desperately needed right now.  
  
“I miss him, Yuta,” Sicheng cried. “I miss our Junnie so much-“ he sobbed, choking slightly. “We didn’t save him, it’s our fault-“  
  
“Baby, he’s in a better place,” Yuta whispered, bringing Sicheng’s head to his chest and rubbing his blonde hair. The pink tips had all but faded out now.  
  
“I loved him so much… and we let him die!” Sicheng cried, letting out his energy against Yuta’s body. “I try so hard to be strong for Chenle but… I don’t think I can keep it up much longer, Yukkie, it’s so hard seeing him like this… I wish we could’ve saved Renjun so he wouldn’t be alone but instead he’s just stuck with you and me, a useless fucking shambles of a Father,”  
  
“Sichengie, don’t ever speak about yourself like that,” the older soothed. “I miss Junnie too, but hating yourself for what happened isn’t going to bring him back. Remember what we said, okay?” he managed a weak smile, and brought Sicheng’s hands to his own. “He’s up there, watching us right now,” Yuta kissed Sicheng’s head. The crying was still ongoing, but had definitely quietened down. “Junnie is so, so proud of you to see that you’re still going on without him. He’s getting to see how brave you are, and the fact you care so much about him… I’m sure he’s smiling even though you’re crying right now…” Yuta smirked slightly, rubbing Sicheng’s back.  
  
Renjun’s death was killing Yuta. But it wasn’t going to kill Yuta’s resolution to keep his loved one’s safe, both physically and mentally.  
  
“No one could’ve stopped what happened. I’ve replayed the scenario a thousand times in my head, and it always comes out inconclusive. We did our best, and he died in our safety. How many other people could say the same, that they died surrounded by their loved ones?” Yuta whispered, squeezing Sicheng tighter. He’d stopped crying by now, but sniffles could still be heard.  
  
“You’re still here. We’re still here. Chenle is still here. As long as we’re still here, Junnie will always be immortalized in our memories,” Yuta soothed.  
  
“Okay?” The older comforted, removing himself from the hug so he could make eye contact with his loved one.  
  
Sicheng cleared his throat, and smiled when Yuta carefully moved his fingers across the smooth surface of his face, wiping the younger’s tears for him. “Okay.”  
  
“Let’s get some sleep,” Yuta whispered, taking the younger’s hand and leading him back inside the barn, up the ladder and into a cuddle when they finally lay down beside Chenle.  
  
  
  
~°•.   **?? / 02 / 2028  :  ??:??am**.•°~  
  
  
  
The sunrise glistened off of the ocean that lay ahead of Yuta. Pink streaks ran across the small port that sat just on the edge of the water, as well as the snow that was dusted atop of it. Last night’s storm had finally subsided, leaving layers of snow, clear skies and biting winds as it’s leaving message.  
  
Yuta finally reached the top of the hill. In the general direction behind him lay Jaehyun’s base… or what was left of it. In front of him was the port in which Jaemin, Ten, Johnny and Jeno should supposedly be at.   
  
He paused for a moment before continuing on further.  
  
The memories of last night began to play in his head. After he had been caught by Jaehyun, he was taken to the infamous office. It was then where Jaehyun mercilessly beat him, spat insults at him and threatened to kill him. But Yuta could take it. Yuta had suffered worse. Wounds would heal, eventually.  
  
That was until Jaehyun pulled something from his desk.  
  
In his hands was a box. Not just any box, but _Yuta’s_ box. Every emotion inside of Yuta awakened at that point, his nerves bursting into flames, his muscles straining as he began to viciously thrash against the restraints that had been set up to keep him in place against the office wall. Yuta turned almost animalistic, yelling at Jaehyun unspeakable words and phrases in a mixture of languages, his wrists beginning to bleed due to the physical aggressiveness Yuta was creating by constantly throwing himself against the restraints, hoping they would break.  
  
In Jaehyun’s hands… was a letter. It was faded yellow, and had ripped edges, edges which indicated the paper should be treated with utmost care. Jaehyun’s sinister voice echoed in Yuta’s blank mind.  
  
“My dear Yuta,” he sneered.   
  
“Husband. Soulmate. Love of my life. These are just a few words that I can use to describe you,” he spat, grinning as his eyes moved to the next line. Jaehyun’s hands were too grimy, too covered in blood, to be allowed to touch such a sacred object in Yuta’s life. This was a line that Yuta knew no one could cross and remain unscathed. No. This was an act of pure hatred. Every fibre of Yuta’s being was urging him to release all the pent up anger against this man. That piece of paper was all Yuta had that still remained of his past life, a life where Yuta was loved.  
  
Jaehyun was halfway through reading the letter by this point, every yell from Yuta causing another dirty laugh to erupt from the other’s evil lips.  
  
Yuta knew what was coming next.  
  
“Yuta!” He mocked, using a slightly higher pitched tone, moving closer to the restrained man. “You can do it! I believe in you!” He gasped theatrically. “Renjun did! Chenle did! And I do!”  
  
Jaehyun smiled when Yuta let out a guttural scream. To hear his own dead children’s names be used against him like that, the feelings he was experienced were unimaginable. Yuta felt like he was erupting with anger, whilst pure hostility was seeping out of his skin as he death stared Jaehyun. His body had given up the fight, slowly going limp, but his eyes didn’t. _Oh no._ Yuta’s eyes said much more than his actions ever could. In fact, Jaehyun could sense this, and stepped slightly backward in trepidation.  
  
Yet he still continued reading the suicide note from Yuta’s beloved.  
  
“I will always be looking over you,” Jaehyun read, giggling with the lack of reaction from Yuta. He thought he’d won. “And hoping that one day, you will find the true happiness that you deserve…” Jaehyun paused. “These last words are in Japanese,” Jaehyun scoffed.  
  
A small victory, if anything. Jaehyun couldn’t take away _that_ , at least.  
  
Nonetheless, the very thought of Jaehyun repeating ‘You’re my universe’ in Japanese sent a fresh wave of anger through Yuta. This was enough to cause him to violently attempt to punch Jaehyun again, yet it was to no end. His arm was aching now, and his wrist was bright purple and bleeding from the pressure he’d been putting on the restraints.  
  
But what Yuta heard over the condescending voice of Jaehyun… was a small ‘click’ from the handcuffs. Another thrust, and Yuta would be free. He could do whatever he wanted to Jaehyun. His mind was clouded, his judgement was foggy, but he knew _exactly_ what he was going to do. In fact, Yuta was looking forward to it.  
  
Jaehyun grinned, and made eye contact with Yuta yet again.  
  
“Love, your Sicheng.”  
  
As Yuta thrust forward in his final aggressive push, the handcuff burst free. Time slowed down, and Jaehyun’s face slowly turned from cockiness to outright fear in a matter of seconds.  
  
Yuta was pulled back to reality. He didn’t regret what he did to Jaehyun. And he most certainly felt… different. Under any other timeline, Yuta would be labelled as a murderer for what he did. But in these days, who wasn’t anymore? Nonetheless, the question still posed. Ahead of him, were 4 innocent boys. And Yuta couldn’t call himself innocent. Not anymore, anyway. Did they deserve to be stifled with Yuta’s presence? The chances that Ten had told the boys that Yuta had willingly sacrificed himself and wouldn’t be returning were incredibly high. They will have mourned him, and paid their respects. That way, Yuta would be immortalized as a hero in their memories. Not as some killer. It would be easy to recover from that… Yuta could simply walk in the opposite direction. Away from here. No one would have to know a thing. Let them live in peace, without him. In fact, the Seo family and Jaemin may already have left the small shipping port, accepting Yuta’s death, destined for a new life somewhere. A new life Yuta had been dreaming of ever since he stumbled across Jaehyun’s reign of tyranny.  
  
Or Yuta could just face them.  
  
A task easier said than done. How could Yuta face Ten, Johnny, Jaemin and… hell, even Jeno, when he knows that he _murdered_ a man? Did Jaehyun deserve it? Quite fucking rightly. But that didn’t change the fact that Yuta killed someone who still retained sentience. It was different to pulling the trigger on a dead person. No one was going to question Yuta in doing that. But if Yuta was to let slip that he killed Jaehyun… who knows what their response may be.  
  
Yuta let out a deep breath. He felt dirty. Like blood and dirt was clinging to his soul, not just his clothes. As well as that, he felt… ashamed. The Japanese man glanced to the sky, and looked at the pink streaks running through the clouds. Sicheng, Chenle and Renjun were looking down on him.  
  
The thought that they had watched Yuta murder a man who used their names against him… it made Yuta feel sick to his stomach. But… surely they would know that he had no choice? His mind was completely blank after he had been freed from the restraints. Come to think of it, Yuta couldn’t even remember the details of what he’d done. He just remembered the aftermath… the bloody room, the bloody hands, the bloody knife that had been captivating Yuta’s attention throughout the interrogation. Escape was easier after that, seeing as the entire camp was overrun with the dead with any of Jaehyun’s men either having fled or joining the undead. His thoughts quickly turned to Vivi. Was she okay? Chances are, no, she wasn’t, but he hadn’t seen her since the day before.  
  
Yuta regained himself, shaking off the bad feelings, even if it was just for a few seconds. His mind was made up. He would leave the men. Yuta would start his own life. His new story.  
  
But just as he turned to walk the other way from the shipping port-  
  
“Yuta?” A familiar voice called out from a distance. The ’88 liner turned his vacant gaze, to see a smiling Jaemin running towards him. It wasn’t long before the 17 year old and ran up the hill, grappling himself onto Yuta’s tired body. “I thought you were dead…“ Jaemin whispered, hugging Yuta harder.  
  
“So did I.”  
  
  
  
~°•.   **12 / 02 / 0001  :  ??:??pm**.•°~  
  
  
  
Yuta brushed his fingers on the barbed wire that surrounded the base. What used to be a shopping outlet on the outskirts of some town had been reinvented and given a complete makeover by Ten, Johnny, Yuta, and the numerous survivors who had began to drabble into the base and willingly take refuge. Protectives fences surrounded the building, and old stores had been transformed into rooms for people to occupy whenever they visited. It’d only been a month and a few weeks since the group had officially… ‘started’ the base, but it was already prosperous. A nearby river provided enough fish for a stable food supply, and the fields just beyond the fences proved to be fertile enough for farming.  
  
Life was getting better. It would never be good, not like it used to be. But it was slowly getting better.  
  
Yuta missed his family more than ever. This apocalypse had changed him… it had changed everyone to an extent, some more than others. But the Japanese man imagined his old self meeting his ‘new’ self, and the stark differences that could be accounted for. It was neither here nor there, though. Nothing could re-write the past, no matter how much Yuta wished for it sometimes.  
  
Not everyone enjoyed welcoming new survivors to the camp. Some were worried of theft, others were worried of betrayal, but Yuta welcomed them with open arms. Those with pre-disposed worries had often seen such awful things prior to visiting this camp, that of course they’re going to hold these worries. But for Yuta… having new people arrive gives him a sense of purpose. As one of the leaders of this base, he hereby accounts for everyone’s well being, something he takes to his heart. He wants to be a leader everyone can rely on, everyone can trust in an emergency. Too many camps had been and gone where insufficient leadership lead to it’s demise.  
  
But one of the best things Yuta enjoyed when welcoming new people was listening to their stories. All of them were tragic. Every single one of them. But it gave Yuta a slap of reality. He wasn’t the only one struggling with his inner demons… everyone was. Even Ten, Johnny and Jeno, to some extent. It made Yuta feel like he was no longer alone. This sense of shared suffering helped contribute to a feeling of… ‘community’. Everyone was in this together, now. It could only go upwards from here.  
  
That didn’t stop Yuta from longing for his loved ones, though. Nothing would ever stop that. Yuta saw Renjun in Jeno’s smile, and heard Chenle in Jeno’s laugh. The small boy was a constant reminder of his own sons, and in that way, Yuta was thankful. Sometimes it got a bit too much, Jeno questioning why Yuta would sometimes simply not want him around. But most of the time, Yuta welcomed the smiling and laughing boy.  
  
Yuta’s story was a tragic one. But for some reason, he’s still here. He’s breathing the fresh air. He’s smelling the frying fish in the centre of the parking lot, which all the stores were dotted around. He’s hearing the laughter of survivors that all sat together for meal time. His senses hadn’t abandoned him, even if his loved ones had. And that shows a real strength of Yuta’s character. As long as he lived, Renjun, Chenle and Sicheng’s lives lived on in his memories. That was incredibly important to Yuta, that his family and the hardships they all endured were never forgotten. This was why everyone knew Yuta’s story now, and he knew everyone else’s. If anything was to ever happen to a member of the camp, their memories wouldn’t die with them.  
  
The idea was incredibly comforting to Yuta. But… it still wasn’t enough.  
  
So Yuta had a plan. Along side the parking lot was the side walk, with rusted pillars standing lonely, as the roof they had once supported had since collapsed to the ground. But on the pillars flitted several notes of paper that were stuck using a collection of pins, each with a large name scribed at the top, and then a brief description of them beneath. It was a way for the survivors to release their angst, write a final tribute to the loved ones they had lost, for everyone to read and share. Yuta was looking at them expressionless as he read the stories, reading the names and ages of people he never knew, but would forever be immortalized in his memory.  
  
Therefore, as Yuta reached the centre of the pillar, gently moving his hand across the papers with the names ‘Renjun’, ‘Chenle’ and ‘Sicheng’ atop in shaky handwriting, he knew it wasn’t the end for them.  
  
He knew they were looking down on him right now.  
  
And he knew they were pleased of the person Yuta had developed into without them.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i want to thank everyone for such positive feedback regarding the first part of this series <3 the comments like that really encouraged me to finish this project, so thank you !! i appreciate ANY feedback that is given so please don't hesitate to leave a comment
> 
> i really hope you all enjoyed it , even though it was a LOT (x10000000) more tragic than ten/johnny/jeno's journey :((
> 
> if you're interested, here are some social media links:  
> my twitter : https://twitter.com/orbityuta ( if you want to DM me please feel free i love talking HSGDAJHBGADSDSA )  
> my CC : https://curiouscat.me/george_uwu
> 
> thank you SO MUCH for reading. i appreciate it so much and ya'll fucking ROCK !!!!! THANK YOU !!!! <3333


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